Waylene
***

Waylene was huddled with Aura, still mourning the death of sweet Sky when
the dragon keened again. <Raynod returns. Gagnith is gone.>

<Gagnith! What was he doing out in the battle.>

<Raynod says his rider was murdered in the Warren.>

Waylene hopped to her feet, racing to the entrance of the cave, as Raynod
settled down allowing his rider off. Z'lec looked sadly at Waylene.

"What happened," she whispered.

Z'lec dropped his head and headed toward her, wrapping one strong arm
around her waist and pulling her out of the chilly night air and into the
warmth of the cave. "It was one of Godred's men."

"I don't understand."

"He's gone mad, I guess. Godred's at a loss to explain it. This guard was a
member of the Guild of swords. He was well respected .. a good fighter ..
Loyal." Z'lec paused, looking into Waylene's dark eyes. "Perion simply
asked about a knife he was carrying .. and he killed him."

Waylene stared at Z'lec not understanding what had happened. Murder was not
something that happened in the Warren very often. "He just went crazy?"

"Apparently." 

"Oh dear .." She said putting a hand over her mouth.

"There's more."

Waylene braced herself for the next bout of bad news. "What is it?"

"Shard is missing."

Waylene frowned, "What happened?"

"It seems that D'gerrit from Norwall stole him out of the med center in the
midst of all the chaos from the attacks and the murder of Perion. T'rend
and Grall tried to stop him, but for some reason Chaldecony felt that Shard
should be with D'gerrit." Z'lec absently scratched at his beard. "T'rend
took Tr'etram and the two of them went to Norwall to see if they could find
him."

Nodding Waylene headed back to where Aura sat nuzzling with Raynod. Z'lec
followed her, "'Lene .. I was with Sky .. when she died."

Waylene stopped, closing her eyes tightly, "Oh god.." she mumbled. She felt
his arms go around her and for the first time in a long time she relaxed
back into them, drawing comfort from the warmth and strength in them.

"She made me realize something .. Something I've known all along, but I've
been to stupid to do anything about it."  He turned her around in his arms
looking into her eyes, "'Lene, I love you, and whether or not you want to
hear, I have to tell you. I would give anything to undo what I did, but I
can't. That whole thing was .. nothing. It didn't mean anything .. not like
what you mean to me."

"Zee, I .." Her voice caught in her throat, as a flood of emotions washed
over her. Sadness at the loss of sweet Sky .. her love for him, buried for
so long .. anger, betrayal .. She moved to push him away unable to think
due to the swirling thoughts and feelings racing through her body.

"Please, don't push me away." He said holding on to her desperately.
"You've got to stop being Warrenlady sometime .. You've got to just let
yourself be a woman. A woman with real feelings."

She looked up into his eyes, which pleaded with her. Suddenly his lips were
on hers and her will to fight was gone. She responded with a desperation as
great as his own. He picked her up and carried her into the make-shift
bedroom, gently laying her down on the bed and then following as she pulled
him to her.

***

<It's about time, don't you think.> sighed Raynod, enjoying the feeling
coming from his rider.

<I agree. It will be nice to have you back in my sleeping space every night.>

<That will still be a while, my queen. First we must get your children
hatched.>

Aura sighed and sent out a gentle breath of hot air onto her hardening
eggs. She and Raynod had done an excellent job of keeping the air in the
cave warm enough for the developing hatchlings, despite the chilling night
air outside.

Godred
***

Godred sat at a table in the empty dining hall with his Advisor, Neland.
"Sir, you must understand that this is a big undertaking you are proposing.
I'm not sure the people of Lendenval will go along with it."

"Why should they object. They have everything they've ever needed. I've
always done what was best for the people." Godred stormed.

"You have and you are well-respected," Neland always tended to try and stay
on the good side of the large lord, which Godred found annoying. However he
was an excellent advisor. "But, Lord Godred, you are talking about asking
the people of Lendenval to tithe to two warrens."

"It wouldn't be forever. Just till the new Warren gets off it's feet." He
turned sad eyes to Neland, "And it would help to prove I'm sincere in my
desire to make things right with my daughter."

"It is your decision in the end. But as your advisor, I must warn you of
the consequences of asking so much of your people. There is talk that
Marrid isn't even living up to it's part of the bargain as it is."

Godred turned flashing eyes to his advisor. "What are you saying! Marrid
has always come when we needed."

"Yes, but there has not been a wraith attack in Lendenval for a very long
time, and the people are scared. They are going to be even more scared when
they hear what happened in Margate today. There is very little left of that
village."

"And you are blaming Marrid for that .. it's because Margate is so small,
that it was damaged so badly. Lendenval has stone buildings and some of
those flamethrowers, to start to protect ourselves .."

Neland nodded, "You are right, Sir, I'm only telling you what the common
man is going to be concerned about."

"None of this has anything to do with the tithing, Neland. Lendenval has
more then enough. Did we not have 5 barges of grain sit and rot last year
because we had too much. Why not send that to those who can use it?"

"As I said, my Lord, I am only an advisor. You must make the decision."

"And I say we do whatever is necessary .. for Waylene."

Neland nodded, "Whatever is your wish, Lord Godred."

Waylene
***

Waylene woke wrapped in the warm body next to her. She frowned lightly, how
could she let this happen. She couldn't just forgive him like that .. could
she?

She untangled herself from his embrace, and hurried to bathe and dress. She
didn't have time to think about Z'lec right now, she had to prepare for her
meeting with Lord Godred. She hoped he wouldn't let her down again.

***

As she stepped out of the bath wrapped in a large bath towel she saw Z'lec
waking up. He turned and smiled at her, "Good morning, love."

"Z'lec .. about last night .." she began, then stopped as his face fell.

"It's okay, I understand. We don't have to talk about it." 

She hurried on quickly, "It's just .. I don't know what to think right now."

"It's okay," he assured her. He stood and grabbed his shirt throwing it on
quickly, followed by his pants. Then he headed out into the main cavern,
leaving Waylene to finish dressing. Once out of her line of sight he
crumbled, his shoulders falling as he slumped against a wall. *She still
hasn't forgiven me.*

He felt Raynod's comforting presence as he forced himself to stand, heading
out into the cool morning air. He walked to a small off-shoot of the Marrid
River which flowed just outside of Aura's cave. There he undressed and
bathed quickly, trying to wash away his disappointment over Waylene's
reaction.

***

Raynod settled down on the green, allowing his passengers off before he
headed off to do some hunting. He had to start hunting for two again, now
that Aura couldn't do her own hunting, and also now that Sarathain was no
longer around to help. The large white dragon felt a pang at his earlier
animosity toward the young dragon.

Waylene and Z'lec headed to Waylene's office as Raynod shot off into the
sky. They didn't have to wait long before Lord Godred and his advisor
arrived at her door. Waylene was glad to not have to spend to much time
alone with Z'lec. He had been very distant since this morning, and she was
having her own guilt pangs. He had been trying so hard to make her happy,
and yet .. she just couldn't seem to get beyond his betrayal.

 "Good morning, Lord Godred," she said cordially.

"Waylene, I want to apologize for the death of your rider at the hands of
one of my guards. I assure you it was not planned on my part. Shep Swordson
was a good man, a trusted guard. I don't know what's come over him."

"I can not hold you responsible for that." She said. "Though it is
something we are going to have to discuss. I have not yet had a report from
our head healer on your guard, but I'm hoping he'll be here soon. Perhaps
there will be an explanation from him on this strange behavior."

Godred nodded, "That will be fine. We are in no hurry to rush back and can
stay as long as you need us to."

"I assure you, I will not detain you any longer then necessary. Though the
dragonriders of Marrid are going to want retribution for the loss of one of
their own."

"Of course."

"Now as to the main reason I brought you here. I hope you have come to a
decision."

"I have. And I want you to know that I would do anything for you. Therefore
I will gladly give whatever we can to the new Warren for as long as I am
able."

Waylene relaxed visibly. "Thank you. This means a lot to me."

Godred beamed. While there was not a full forgiveness there, it was a
start, and by far the most she had given in since their estrangement.

Regards,
Waylene & Aura
***
NRPG: I didn't get to everything I wanted to, but did get to most of it.
And I got Waylene to morning :}

Justin, you can ignore the lendenval tithe at Cleft if you want, it's
actually just a plot point for marrid, so do whatever you like with it .

Kristen

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Kristen Gant
(AKA: Darlea & Makayla,  Waylene & Aura, Meena & Vonn, 
Kalewyn & Sabbith, Saul & Fayloth)
http://homepage.interaccess.com/~sgant/kris.htm