There are 2 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. [DL-C] Laying The Past To Rest? (JP)
From: "Arlene" <wondermom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
2. [DL-C] When Lenna's Not Happy.... (JP)
From: "Arlene" <wondermom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 00:28:52 -0400
From: "Arlene" <wondermom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: [DL-C] Laying The Past To Rest? (JP)
Day 3
Morning
Cynthia's and Trevor's Apartment.
[SNIP]
Merilan turned and eyed her grandson's mother critically, "Hello,
Kellie. My have we put on weight?"
Kellie sighed. "Trevor, your mate has been patiently waiting in the
med
center for you to come back. Syren told Varie to keep a look out for
you. If you want to go see her, I'll keep Merilan company until you
get
back."
[END SNIP]
"Perhaps if YOU had had a child at my age, you'd have had the same
problem," Kellie said testily as she gave Merilan a cool stare. So,
after all this time, Merilan still harbored the same feelings toward
her. Well, it didn't matter as long as Trevor was left out of things.
And Cynthia...she definitely didn't want Cynthia prying into this,
which
she certainly would if Trevor became aware of it.
"I only needed one child. A woman with a grown son shouldn't be having
babies," Merilan said, icily, "Were you trying to compensate for
something lacking by having a new baby, perhaps?"
Kellie frowned. "I lacked a mate these last fourteen years," she said,
then realized she'd worded that badly. "K'rald meant the world to me,
enough so that I left Keldarra because I couldn't bear to be there
without him. I came out here expecting to be an early casualty in
these
wild lands, but...well, things didn't work out that way."
Merilan's eyes narrowed, "Maybe you should have tried harder? Then
Trevor would not have felt he needed to leave home... leaving an old
woman alone, with no son or grandsons to take care of her."
Kellie turned away from her. "If I could have traded my life for that
of K'rald, I would have," she said bitterly. "But I wasn't given that
op****tunity, or the op****tunity to try to save him or his dragon. As
for Trevor...he didn't even know you until last year."
"And whose idea was that? To hide from me my only *living* grandson?"
Merilan snapped.
Kellie spun around. "Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that
he already had enough problems - caused by your *other* grandson - to
be
burdened by your not-so-secret opinions that *I* was at fault for what
happened to him...and to his father. He didn't need that sort of
confusion in his life...he was already confused and hurt enough."
"You thought you were protecting him? From me? Maybe he'd have been
less confused if you admitted that just maybe you did have something to
do with all that happened to K'rald and M'del, instead of denying it
all
these years. Maybe if you'd talked about it, you might have seen what
a
burden of silence you were putting on Trevor! How did you expect him
to
become less confused when you never even talked?"
"I *did* talk...when it would have made a difference!" Kellie retorted.
"I talked to K'rald...I talked to the Warrenlady...I even talked to the
Dragonlady! None of them listened! The Warrenlady and the
Dragonlady...well, they said they'd 'review the case,' but wouldn't
take
any action until they had had time to 'thoroughly deliberate' what was
appropriate. And K'rald...K'rald was blinded by his hopes that M'del
would grow up just like his father. He never would see who M'del
*really* took after! Not until it was too late, anyway! And
then...then *I* was the one who saved that little bastard's life -
which
your son was about to put an end to! I should have let him!"
Merilan's eyes filled with tears. "K'rald should never have... he was
wrong... M'del deserved a chance to redeem himself. He was... you
never
loved him like he needed to be loved. He was a lost little boy. He
just needed understanding.... My poor, little M'del... poor little
boy...."
"Don't you think I *did* try??" Kellie demanded. "When K'rald and I
became mates, I tried to be a mother to M'del! But would he accept me?
NO! To him, I was some sort of evil interloper who had come between
K'rald and his *real* mother! Your poor little misunderstood boy even
threatened to kill me when he was nine years old, did you know that?
And once Rashevon came along, he had the means to carry out that threat
- and all the others he had made, against everyone at the warren who'd
ever angered him! No, Merilan, I understood him all too well!" She
turned away for a moment, clenching her fists as tears came to her own
eyes. "And tell me...at what point should he have been allowed to
'redeem' himself? After what he did to Trevor? The only way he could
have redeemed himself was to do what he only pretended to do - take
that
misfit dragon of his out and tele****t to nowhere!"
"Pretended to do?!" Merilan glared, "And what is that supposed to
mean?
You think that he didn't do that? That he only pretended to tele****t
into nothingness? What do you expect him to suddenly just pop up
somewhere else? I'd think we would have heard about it from one of the
other warrens if that were the case!"
"Does the name 'Khazeen' mean anything to you?" Kellie asked. "I don't
know if the stories reached as far as Keldarra. But Daere Warren knows
of him, and it's even farther away."
"Khazeen? Isn't he that Nomad-monster?" Merilan asked, not sure where
Kellie was going with this.
Kellie broke out laughing, shaking her head as she saw the surprised
look on Merilan's face. "You don't know...you REALLY don't know?"
When
Merilan shook her head, Kellie stopped laughing and stared hard at the
older woman. "Well, I guess the news hadn't gone as far as I thought.
I didn't know either, until Turner and I ran into the hatching cavern
and found 'Shamir,' the Nomad dragon-god - the servant of Khazeen, you
know...attacking the warren's queen. Quite a sight he was, too...as
big
as a queen, and with eyes that glowed like hot embers. Sound
familiar?"
Merilan felt a chill run up her spine. "No... it couldn't have
been...?"
"Oh, no, of course not," Kellie assured her. "There are *lots* of
dragons running around that fit that description, aren't there? I
should have known even before then, before I saw him. When I learned
that Trissana had had a run-in with that creature, and he'd tried to
forcibly rape her. Lots of dragons around who do that, too, aren't
there?"
"Stop!" Merilan snapped, "Don't play games with me, Kellie! I'm an
old
woman and I don't have time left for foolish games! You want me to
believe that our M'del was that monster, Khazeen? That he didn't
tele****t to nothingness, but tele****ted to ... Cleft? To the Nomad
Lands?"
"No game, Merilan," she said. "I saw Khazeen in person, heard his
voice
and talked to him. If there was any doubt after Rashevon showed up
here
as 'Shamir,' that ended it. That sweet little boy of yours is
responsible for the death of hundreds of people from these lands, and
no
few from the warren here...humans and dragons both."
She turned away again. "If it's any consolation to you....the
consensus
is that it wasn't entirely his fault. That the demons that drove him
came from that insane dragon of his." She turned again to face
Merilan.
"But we all figured that out long ago, didn't we? To me, back at
Keldarra, it made no difference...the pair of them were a danger to the
warren...and K'rald, because he thought as you do now, wouldn't take
action. What happened to Trevor was the result."
She saw how her words had shocked Merilan, and tried to calm herself.
"Then again, perhaps we were both wrong. Perhaps my attempt to get him
banished helped him along the road to what he became. I suppose we'll
never know now, will we?"
Merilan felt tears well up in her old eyes. She had buried those
feelings for her lost grandson and son as deeply as she could, but here
they were brought into the daylight again. "How can I believe this?
How could my own grandson have been such as he was? How can he be the
son of my son? My K'rald?"
She wouldn't give into the grief. Did Kellie delighted in hurting her?
"I've heard enough, Kellie! You can keep your anger and your hatred
for
my grandson in your heart. I will always love them, both. And I did
not come here to exchange hateful words with you. I came to see my
great grandchildren!"
Kellie sighed. "Merilan, I am not trying to be hateful and am not
trying to hurt you. I am simply telling you the reality of the
situation as I see it. M'del was not my son, either by birth or by
acceptance...but it was by his refusal to accept me, not the other way
around. I only tried to have him banished after I perceived that he
had
become a danger to everyone around him - and I believe to this day that
I was right to do what I did. If you want to hate me for it, that's
your business. And if you want another reason to hate me, you should
know that it was Varie and I who were responsible for finally sending
him to the 'underworld' that he claimed to be the lord of. But know
too, that I did it to keep him and Rashevon from killing both Trevor
and
Trissana - which they surely would have. Which pair would you rather
have alive today - Trevor and his dragon, or M'del and his?"
"They would have killed Trevor and Trissana?" Merilan let the thought
register. Trevor had been the one bright spot in her old age; a child
after her own heart, with skill with a pen and brush. He was a sweet
boy and wish such a sweet dragon, as well. She wanted to remember
M'del
as the little boy she had loved, not as the monster he had become. But
she had to admit, if it had been a choice between the monster and the
sweet young man that Trevor was, there really was no choice. She bowed
her head, a wisp of gray hair fell forward, and she brushed at it, with
her blue-veined hands. "You made the right choice," She finally
admitted.
Kellie shook her had sadly. "There were no right choices to be made,
not for any of us, where M'del was concerned. But I...guess I did make
the wrong decision in trying to keep him away from you. I hope that
someday you can forgive me for that. I realize now that I was wrong in
doing that, and caused great harm in the process. I did it because I
was trying to protect my son, and was too blind to see what he really
needed."
Merilan smiled sadly in return, "I am just thankful that we finally
have
found each other. Kellie... for the sake of Trevor, and the babies,
let
this be the last time we speak of those no longer with us. I can never
forget them, not the way I knew them, but... I will no longer put the
blame on you. You did what you thought you needed to do at the time.
I
can see that now."
Kellie nodded. "Thank you for that," she said. "And speaking of
babies...would you like to meet your great-grand...er, meet the
babies?"
Merilan's eyes lit up, "Yes, of course! That's why I am here, after
all."
Kellie led Merilan out to the ledge where Varie waited. They passed
Triss, sprawled out on her blanket, on the way out. "World's largest
blanket, I think," she said, pointing to the pearly dragon's prize
possession with a wry smile.
"It is an amazing quilt!" Merilan shook her head in amazement. She
reached out and patted the large female fondly as they passed, before
mounting on Kellie's dragon for the flight to the medical center. It
took only a moment to wing across the warren.
"Cleft's med center isn't much compared to Keldarra's," Kellie said by
way of apology as she ushered Merilan in through the main doors. "But
considering what we had to start with here, it's quite an
accomplishment." She escorted Merilan down the hallway to Cynthia's
room, and went in. "Cynthia?" Kellie asked. The Warrenlady, still in
bed though she looked ready to be up and around, looked up from her
book. "Hello Kellie!" she said. "Always nice to have visitors! And
who is this?"
"Warrenlady Cynthia, I'd like you to meet Merilan of Keldarra Warren.
Merilan is Trevor's grandmother, the mother of my late mate K'rald.
And
the great-grandmother of our new little K'rald!"
Merilan followed Kellie in to the room where the warrenlady lay. She
was holding the two babies as they came in. She smiled down as the
baby
boy was presented to her to hold, "K'rald... your grandfather would be
so proud." She wondered as she then looked at the little girl, "and is
this little Bobbie?" She blinked as she glanced from one twin to the
other and then to the mother, a very confused look on her face. "Are
they really twins? They don't look too much alike, do they?"
---
TAG: Alton... Cynthia has a little explaining to do.
---
Summary:
Day 3
Morning
Kellie stays with Merilan while Trevor goes to see Cynthia. While
waiting, they talk about "old times" and "old hurts". They clear the
air and find some forgiveness. Kellie then offers to take Merilan to
the medical center to see Cynthia and meet the babies. Merilan is
confused as she meets K'rald and then... Bahb.
---
Respectfully submitted by:
John Pepper
Trevor & Trissana
Kellie & Varie
Cleft Warren
And
Arlene Jacobs
Merilan
Keldarra Warren
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 01:16:24 -0400
From: "Arlene" <wondermom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: [DL-C] When Lenna's Not Happy.... (JP)
Day 4
Morning
[snip]
Andahar narrowed his eyes and looked over at Trevor and Lenna. "I will
abide by decision of Warrenlady Cynthia," he said. "Will Mapmaker
and.woman.do likewise?"
Trevor scowled, but nodded. "I will," he said. "I trust her judgment
more than anyone else."
"Even if it means moving Triss?" Lenna asked.
Trevor hesitated a moment, then nodded again.
"Then I suggest we go and see her now," said Lenna.
[End snip]
Trevor reached down and patted Triss, making sure she was as
comfortable
as she could be, and then bracing himself, nodded to the others, "I am
ready."
Andahar shook his head at his friend's sentimentality, and led the way,
setting a swift pace toward the medical center.
"About these herbs..." Trevor looked at the list Lenna had given to
him,
"Maybe I should get some at the medical center while we're there?"
S'lomon frowned, "I don't usually stock such large amounts as you'd
need
for a dragon. You may want to check with the quartermaster."
"Andahar, could you ask Alania if she has...?"
"No." Andahar cut him off before Trevor could finish.
Trevor looked surprised, "But... they're for Triss... and..."
"I cannot ask Alania." Andahar stated firmly.
"No he can't," Lenna smirked. "She left the Warren after talking to
Reain and no one has seen her since. Gee.. I wonder what the two of
them
talked about. Do you know oh Big Chief who-knows-how-to-treat-people?"
Andahar's eyes flashed dangerously at the thought of Reain and the
secret she had kept from him, and how she had used that against him to
turn Alania away. Then Lenna's words sunk in, and he stopped and faced
Lenna, "She left Warren?"
"Oh didn't you know?" she asked sweetly. "From what I heard she packed
up her stuff, got on her dragon and left. Maybe she went back to
Keldarra after she found out what you were really like. Smart girl if
you ask me."
Andahar got the far-away look in his eyes, <*Bohoc? Where is
Moondancer
and her rider?*>
<They are... gone... my rider. Other dragons say they left last
night... after we left to go to lake.>
Andahar's eyes focused again on Lenna's face. His voice was calm and
soft, and his eyes hard and cold as ice, "I did not know."
"No I didn't think you did," she frowned, and shook her head slowly
from
side to side. "If you thought more about the people in your life
instead
of yourself, then maybe your life wouldn't be in the mess it's in. But
all you care about is your own damn honor and to hell with other
people's feelings. For myself, I do hope Alania left and went back from
where she came. Then maybe she won't have to suffer from a broken heart
the way Reain did because of you."
"I did not ask Reain to love me! I never love her... not like...
Alania. It is Reain who do dishonorable thing and talk to Alania. She
tell Alania lie to make Alania leave! I will not love Reain more
because she drives Alania away. She will not have me. YOU can tell
that to Reain, since you talk so much about other people behind back!"
Andahar's eyes blazed. "If you did not talk to Reain and fill her head
with idea, she would not talk to Alania."
"You honorless bastard," the female dragonrider swore. She wanted so
badly to hit the man, but knew it would only get her in trouble after
the last time. "That girl loved you and you used her and then threw her
away when she no longer amused you. She's worth twenty of you and has
more Honor in her little finger then you will ever have. Reain didn't
lie. Not about her feelings or that Kenziah was your child. She didn't
lie the way you did by not saying anything. Alania went searching for
Reain. Reain did not search her out. If she tried to save the girl some
heartache by telling the woman what an ass you really are... then I say
more power to her."
"As always, you know nothing of how things are. You know nothing of
Honor! You were not there when I spoke to Reainen. He wanted mate for
Reain. He was glad that I would be fahteh to Jasi and take Reain as
Chunor! I could have beaten her for her dishonor, and then he could
have given her as slave to any man who would take her... and no
honorable man would have taken her. Do you know what her life would
have been? Do you have any idea what life for nomad woman with no
honor
would be like? Do you know what would have become of Jasi? I saved
Reain! I take Jasi as my own! I give her name and clan! And this is
how she pays me back?" Andahar spat.
"How she paid you back..." Lenna could barley contain the disgust in
her
voice. "Reain didn't need you to save her from her Uncle. She was a
dragonrider for this Warren at the time she found her uncle. She didn't
have to go with any man she didn't want to and this Warren and her own
Dragon would have saved her. She allowed herself to go with you because
she loved you and stupidly thought you cared for her."
"Lenna... maybe this isn't a good time for.." Trevor tried to break in.
"Shut up Trevor," Lenna snapped without thinking, then turned back to
the tall nomad standing before her. "And didn't you show the whole
warren just how much you cared by throwing her out when she told you
she
was going to have your baby? What's wrong Oh Chief
who-goes-around-doing-such-wonderful-favors! Did she dishonor you by
giving birth to a daughter instead of the Son the Great Chief of
whoopee-land seems to think he's owned!! Is that why you denied your
own
daughter!"
Andahar's hands clenched into fists, his eyes fla****ng dangerously. He
did not fully understand her insults, but he didn't need to know what
the words meant to feel their sting, "I did care! But I did not
believe
that baby was mine! She did NOT tell me about baby. She hid it.
DRAGON
told me of baby! So I thought she lie like Saleh and sleep with other
man to trap me to marry her. And why do you care? Baby is born and I
tell her I was wrong! I already tell her I will be fahteh to baby!
Then
she drives Alania away?"
"Umm.. Andahar, right now... you've got another baby to think
about...?"
Trevor again tried to remind them. "Remember Bahb and... Cynthia?"
Andahar spun on Trevor, making the map-maker flinch back. The young
nomad saw his reaction and took a deep breath. "Yes... Cynthia."
"Yes... Cynthia.. riding on her Coat-Tails-of-Honor now that you have
so
little of your own?" Lenna drew the name out slowly. "You go right on
and see your *other* baby. Kenziah doesn't need you any more then Reain
does. Was I Reain, I'd tell you to go right to hell and not let you
anywhere near my baby.. but that's the difference between us.. Even
though you've torn her heart into a million pieces.. She's still kind
hearted enough to allow you to see your daughter after what you did to
her... But know this Andahar, Big Chief
who-seeks-a-new-dash-of-Honor...
If you EVER hurt Reain again... I'll make your life a living hell...
And
if you doubt I can.. Ask Trevor what I'm capable of."
"Yes, you make life for any man hell," Andahar's eyes narrowed, "As you
did to B'rand?! Is that why father of own child is now in other warren
and you are all alone?"
Lenna refused to allow the man to know how much his words hurt. She
wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "I'm not alone. I have my son. And
as for B'rand.. He never lied to me about how he felt about me. But
even
I can not expect a man to give up on life when he thought his mate had
died. He loved me enough to wait two years before he found someone
else.
How long do you think Reain will wait?" With that said, Lenna tipped
her
hand towards Trevor. "Give Cynthia my love, and let me know what she
decides to do." She said and then walked away. She'd had as much of the
big Chief Windbag as she could take for a while.
Andahar glared at the woman's retreating back. He knew that he had
scored a hit with that last comment, even if she would never admit it.
A woman who was alone had too much time to gossip and meddle in other
people's business, he thought. If he wanted a peaceful life he'd have
to have Andorra look for potential mates for Lenna and Reain. Then
maybe he would go to Keldarra and try to find Alania and talk with her.
But for now... they had other concerns, such as a sick dragon and the
mother of two babies who would want to come home.
---
TAG: Alton -- this just fills in the time from "Bedside Manner" to
their arrival in the Medical Center.
---
Summary
Day 4
Morning
S'lomon, Lenna, Trevor and Andahar head to the medical center to ask
Cynthia her opinion about Trissana's illness. Lenna and Andahar begin
to argue when Lenna reveals that Alania left and may have gone "home"
to
Keldarra. Angry at Andahar, Lenna storms off. Andahar, S'lomon and
Trevor continue into the medical center to talk to Cynthia.
---
Respectfully submitted by:
Barb Matthews
Lenna & Blanchie
And
Arlene Jacobs
Andahar & Bohoc
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
To Join World Weavers, visit: http://www.worldweavers.net/
Only members of WorldWeavers Worlds should post to this list. To post
messages to this group, send email to WeaversFiction@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
|
