Dear Readers,

The beginning of this story is under reconstruction. When you read a chapter that has nothing at all to do with what you have just read, please keep in mind that is the previous version of the story and I am redoing it as quickly as I can. I apologize for the inconveniance. I am not trying to confuse you! Later on, after chapter 28, things mostly fit together with the revised chapters of the story.

This is Chapter 10, revised.

Thank you and enjoy!

DragonRider2000

Taya stood in the doorway of the Inn, her hand outstretched to catch a few raindrops. The sky was grey with clouds threatening rain, and the weather was playing with the people of Dras'leona by sprinkling for a few minutes and then stopping and then sprinkling again. The grey day was not something Taya had planned for, as she had planned to take Raya and the baby dragon out to the lake to let the baby dragon fly.

She narrowed her eyes at the sky and shook her head. "Well, if you're going to be like that, I'm going to have to call your bluff." Taya turned around and went back inside. Raya was sitting on a table, reading a book that Taya had given her. She looked up when Taya entered.

"So, what's it like out there?" She asked eagerly.

"Well," Taya rolled her eyes. "The weather has decided to play with us; it's sprinkling again. I say we go anyways. It's quite light, and I doubt it is going to do much more than continue to sprinkle. Besides, we need to get outside."

"Let's go!" The fifteen year old hopped off the table. "I'll go saddle the horses."

"Alright, I'll be out in a minute."

Taya took the steps up the stairs two at a time and slipped into her room. The baby dragon was perched on the stool in the corner, its tail twitching madly. But he didn't growl at her. Instead, he jumped off the stool with his wings spread out and glided to her like a bird of prey. With a chuckle, she caught him.

"Eager, aren't you? Well, me too. Into your bag, little guy, and off we go!"

The baby dragon crawled into his traveling bag, and Taya carefully picked it up and slung it over her shoulder. Leaving her room, she stopped in the kitchen to pick up their picnic lunch, and met Jerdan Caldell, who was coming in from outside. He grinned at her.

"Raya told me you are going to brave the elements! It's mighty windy out there, but the sprinkling has stopped… for now. Raya seems extremely happy."

Taya laughed. "She's wanted to ride alone with me for the past week. And since Sasha went with Nacar and Niera for the day, she finally has her chance. And all her pent up energy from being stuck inside for the past two days is starting to show."

"I never knew Raya had so much energy until you came along, Taya." Jerdan said softly. Taya had made the decision to tell him her real name when it was found out that Raya was her sister. She had, however, refrained from telling him who her father was. He'd taken the name change with grace, and remembered to call her Tanyel in other company.

"It's astounding to see the change that has come over her. Our friend Emerson tried and tried to bring her out, but to no avail. He never gave up, but that was just Emerson. When you found her, Taya, you set her free and she found herself."

Taya smiled. "And I found a sister I only dreamed I had. Tell me, Jerdan. Who is Emerson?"

Jerdan raised his eyebrows. "If you really don't know, I don't think it is my place to tell you. I'm surprised Sasha hasn't told you yet."

"She's never even mentioned a man named Emerson. Other people drop a comment about him like you just did, but it isn't my place to ask or pry into her personal life."

"A good call. It's a sad story, really. He was my best friend too, and he just dropped off the map. I sincerely hope that doesn't mean he's dead. He was a good man. But Sasha will tell you about him when she's ready, or when your curiosity gets the better of you."

"Alright. Thanks, Jerdan. We'll see you later!"

"Have fun! May the weather cooperate for you."

"It had better!" She called over her shoulder as she exited the Inn and hurried into the stable. Chester nickered to her when he saw her. The black horse was tied in the aisle with his saddle on, and on the far side of him was one of the Tatanya's paints, which Raya was in the process of putting the saddle on.

"My goodness, you're quick!" Taya exclaimed, grabbing up Chester's bridle. Raya grinned.

"I guess I'm just ready to get out of here."

"Us too." Taya winked, slipping the bit easily into her horse's mouth. "Of course, I started talking to Jerdan."

"I figured as much, since he went in after I came out here. I never really noticed, but he is really funny!"

"Yes, he is." Taya fiddled with Chester's bridle, thinking of the strange man named Emerson who had tried before she'd come along to help Raya. She felt the baby dragon nudge her mind, his eagerness to get out and stretch his wings overpowering her thoughts about Emerson.

Almost, almost. She soothed, stroking Chester's forehead softly as Raya strapped their lunch to her saddle and untied her mare.

"Ready?" She asked Taya, who nodded and followed Raya's lead.

Taya laughed as she mounted. Raya glanced at her curiously, and Taya indicted her bag. The little dragon was so excited.

"You're not the only one bursting with energy." Taya whispered to Raya as they headed down the dampened streets. They passed a few people who were familiar, but most everyone was inside.

"Who knew sprinkles could have such an affect! Dras'leona is almost deserted." Just as Taya said this it started sprinkling again, this time a little harder. Taya glared at the sky. "You wouldn't dare." She growled, shaking her head.

"Scattered showers." Raya snickered. "So, when are you going to start teaching us to fight? I mean, use a sword and all that."

"And all that, huh?" Taya raised an eyebrow, and then turned slightly towards her. "It isn't easy, Raya. And if I teach you how to fight, you have to be ready to use what I teach you for anything. That might mean killing someone. Don't be so eager to have someone's blood on your hands, because it is not something to be proud of. I have to teach you to defend yourself, in light of what we are doing and where we are going. No doubt since you are a Corsallen you will pick up what I teach you quickly. But still I hesitate."

Raya's eyes were wide. Clearly she had not expected such a heartfelt answer to her simple question.

"I didn't mean…"

"I know, Raya. And now you are aware."

The guards at the gate nodded to them as they left, recognizing them immediately.

Once away from the gate they started trotting, and the horses pushed eagerly forward, wanting to race. Taya didn't want to jostle the baby dragon too much, so she kept Chester at a slower pace as Raya let her horse charge forward. The paint mare flew across the ground on the deserted road, not seeming to notice that Chester was not with her. After a minute Chester calmed down and settled into a powerful distance-eating trot that was extremely smooth.

A single word flashed across her mind, put there by the baby dragon.

Fly.

Taya projected back. Soon.

There was a grumble from her bag in reply. She laughed, and Raya trotted up to her, her face glowing.

"That was awesome!" She cried, patting her mare's neck.

"Alright, time to veer off the road. Our little tag along is about to rip out of the bag, and I want to be at our spot before he gets out."

They veered off the road, and after riding for nearly ten minutes they found the spot they'd gone to before when the baby dragon had flown for the first time. Taya immediately dismounted and handed the reins to Raya, and then walked a little ways from the horses. The prey animals had yet to get used to the dragon.

"Alright, you." Taya said softly as she opened the bag. "Control yourself, and show me what you can do today!"

The green dragon came out painfully slow, over exaggerating his movements while looking at Taya meaningfully. But once he was fully out his attention was diverted by his surroundings. With a joyful squeak he jumped forward, causing the horses to shy and snort.

Taya stood and watched the baby dragon investigate, and then turned around and went back to the horses to help picket them. It had stopped sprinkling by then, and the sky was a very light grey where they were. The wind was blowing slightly, adding a chill to the air, but the landscape itself was beautiful.

"Do you think he'll catch anything?" Raya asked, watching the baby dragon keenly. Taya looked back to see him stalking something, and she shrugged.

"It depends. He should catch on fairly quickly, but I bet it will take him a few tries."

They watched him for a minute, but he lost whatever he'd been stalking and moved on. They lost sight of him in some bushes, and when Raya looked worriedly over at Taya, the older Corsallen shook her head, smiling.

"He's fine, Raya. Relax. He'll be around."

After a minute Taya felt the baby dragon nudge at her thoughts, and she walked over to the bushes were she'd last seen him. He wasn't there, but when she looked up she saw him sitting on a little incline, watching her.

Slowly, deliberately, he unfurled his wings and lifted his head. The wind moved his wings a bit, but he stayed where he was, and then with another gust of wind he pushed down hard and jumped. He was successful in catching the gust of wind, and he flapped his wings to gain altitude, but the wind was just a bit too strong and sent him head over heels. He almost hit the ground, but just at the last second he righted himself and pushed his way back up into the air. This time he rode the wind, gaining speed and slowing down when he thought he could.

Taya watched him in admiration. He was not very far from the ground, and he was incredibly wobbly, but he was in the air and flying.

A name… She thought. He needs a name, but it just isn't coming!

Then all of a sudden he dove, and there was a startled squeak from the ground as he landed with a thump. The feeling of surprise and joy came flooding across Taya's link as the baby dragon gloried in his first catch.

Taya sent her own happiness at his success to him and then went back to Raya. "Well, he made his first catch, and he is incredibly proud of himself. Dragons are hunters of the sky, after all."

Raya grinned. "The sky and the ground are no longer safe, then. We'll have to be careful now."

Taya laughed with her and sat down. "For sure. Maybe it's a good thing he can't talk quite yet; he'd never let us forget his first catch. He probably won't let us forget it anyways." She looked over towards where the little dragon was, and saw that he was back in the air, swooping back and forth.

"Sasha's going to be so annoyed." Raya snickered, handing Taya her sandwich. "She was already annoyed when she found out she couldn't come out with us today."

"Yes, she was, but she knew we wouldn't call it off. She'll be fine. After all, it sounded like this wasn't just some ordinary excursion. Didn't Sasha say a friend of theirs had a baby?"

"Yes, she did. She's Sasha's age, and they've grown up together so both families are really close. This is her second baby, too."

Taya cocked her head. "What about you? I was sort of surprised you didn't go."

Raya shrugged her shoulders. "I've never gone with the Tatanya's. I always stay behind whenever they go somewhere, unless I have to. And even if Sasha had asked me today, I wouldn't have gone, especially since you were here. I was surprised Sasha didn't ask you if you wanted to go!"

"She knew I wouldn't because of him." Taya motioned towards the baby dragon, "I can only take him so many places, and I would never venture further into the city with him. At any rate I'm glad you came with me because I will start teaching you how to defend yourself, and it's much easier for me to start teaching you by yourself. Ready?"

Raya grinned and jumped up. "You bet!"

Taya chuckled, shaking her head. "I hope you're still that enthusiastic at the end of the day."

When Taya and Raya returned to the Inn it was only a couple hours before dark, but the sky was nearly black. A massive storm was blowing in, threatening to hit Dras'leona sometime that evening. There was the smell of rain in the air, and the wind was blowing hard enough to make it difficult to stand straight.

The baby dragon was huddled in his bag against Taya's back, and Taya's teeth were chattering by the time they dismounted at the stable and quickly led the horses into the safety and shelter of the building.

"Whew!" Taya cried when they were suddenly released from the wind. "That is insane!"

Raya nodded her head, took a couple steps, and groaned. Taya couldn't help laughing.

"What happened to your enthusiasm?" She teased, and received a death glare in response. Shaking her head and still laughing, Taya tied Chester to the hitching rail and began un-tacking him. She had gone easy on Raya all day, but she had not learned as quickly as she thought she would. Using a sword, or rather a stick was a lot harder than Raya ever imagined. Taya after a while put aside the sticks and went after Raya with her hands. They both found then that Raya was a very fast runner, but Taya finally caught her and made her use her hands and her body for defense and attack. Raya had not been thrilled, but she'd fought back until she couldn't anymore, and then Taya called an end to the lesson and packed up. The sky was getting darker and all three of them, the baby dragon included, were tired out.

"I'm going to sleep well tonight." Raya mumbled, stripping off her horse's tack.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Taya motioned to Raya's horse. "I'll put her up for you. Go get some water and go to bed. You won't last very long. And Raya… good job today."

Raya smiled widely at her and gave her a hug, then left the stable. Taya watched her go, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. The baby dragon nudged her from his bag, letting her know she needed to hurry up. Taya quickly put both horses away and gave them hay, then picked up the stuff and dashed out of the stable into the Inn.

"There you are!" Sasha exclaimed, jumping up from her chair and taking the saddlebags from her. "Raya came through here like a whirlwind, and headed to her room like one too. What did you do to her?"

"She wanted me to teach her how to fight, so I taught her how to defend herself first. She got quite a workout today; we all did." She winked at Sasha, and her cousins eyes glowed. She knew what Taya meant.

"You'll have to tell me all about it later." Sasha said meaningfully.

"And you'll have to tell me about your trip! Want to come up?"

"Of course! Let me put this stuff up. I'll be right there." Sasha hurried off, but Taya lingered for a moment, listening. Then she heard the distant rolling thunder, and smiled.

Once in her room, Taya let the little dragon out, and he immediately curled up on her bed and closed his eyes.

"Raya's not the only one completely exhausted." Taya said softly, and the baby dragon grumbled softly, too tired to reply any other way. She set a pillow over him like a tent and quickly changed into something clean, and then there was a knock at her door. She opened it slightly, and instead of Sasha, it was Niera Tatanya. The older woman smiled at her slightly surprised expression.

"Hello, Taya. Sasha told me you were back. Do you have time to talk with me this evening?"

Taya nodded automatically, caught off guard. "Of course, Aunt Niera. Sasha and I were just going to talk about the day for a little while. I can be downstairs in an hour."

"Alright. Thank you, Taya."

Taya watched as her aunt turned and made her way downstairs. She must have met Sasha on the stairs, because Taya heard Sasha's voice and then Sasha appeared.

"You know, Taya," Sasha said slowly, "you should probably go talk with her now. We can talk later or tomorrow and we know my mother has wanted to talk to you since you arrived. It's not really fair to keep her waiting."

Taya turned and went into her room and picked up her mother's diary from under her mattress. She held it up for Sasha to see. "This will help her more than my memory. No no, I am not letting her read it, goodness no! But I will read something to her that Lenya wrote. If you want to stay here…"

Sasha nodded. "I'll stay."

"Thanks. I'll be back… sometime."

Sasha sat down in a chair and picked up one of Taya's books. "See you later!"

Taya shook her head as she left her room and shut the door, and then proceeded downstairs. Niera was sitting at a table by the fireplace, and there were two mugs on the table. She looked up when Taya entered the room and smiled widely. "That was a fast hour."

Taya laughed. "Obviously you were expecting me! But I agree with Sasha, it wasn't fair to keep putting you off." She sat down beside her aunt and took her drink. Niera was staring at the leather-bound book she'd placed on the table, and tears sprang into her eyes. Taya watched her for a moment, and then said softly,

"I thought it would be best if I started out by reading something to you. My mother knew from the beginning she'd never see you or the rest of her family again. Not that she ever gave up hope, but she knew there was too much danger. I don't know if you remember, but she managed to send one letter to you, telling you to leave Uru'baen."

Niera nodded. "I remember very vaguely, but we had no idea who had sent it. None of us recognized the writing, but my father took it seriously and we were gone the next morning, and we settled here. It broke my mother's heart because she still had a hope of finding Lenya, but my father took the letter as a warning, maybe not from Lenya herself, but from someone who knew Lenya was gone and knew something else would happen to our family. Lenya was very, very dear to him, and he couldn't stand to lose anyone else."

Taya sipped her drink, feeling its warming effects, and then she picked up the diary and unlocked it. She opened it to a bookmarked place, and then looked back up at her aunt.

"She wrote this entry two days after she was chosen by the king. May I?"

Niera took a deep breath and nodded for her to start.

Taya looked down and read a line to herself before she started. When she started reading out loud, her voice was low, and her tone carried all the mystery of the past in it, taking both of them back to that time when a lone woman sat at a desk and carefully put her inner thoughts into a book, knowing that someday, someone would read those thoughts.

"There are so many things I want to say… I have all the time in the world to write them, but if I wrote them all down they would take up the whole book.

So many things have changed in these past couple weeks. I never dreamed this could happen. I'm now shackled to the black King as his slave, destined, condemned to be his wife. The strength that my father said I was gifted with has been my undoing, it seems… but it will also help me survive, and his memory will remain with me to the end because of it. I will not be broken to the black King's will, no matter how hard he tries to destroy me. I could not bear to look at my father again if I did give in… but what is there to give in to? Death? I thought of ending my life in the very beginning, but only for a second. What a wasted second of my life. Really, I could accomplish nothing if I was dead, and there's so much that I can do in my situation to thwart and nibble away at the black King's power. It sounds ridiculous, and I hate being here, but that doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me though is that I don't hate the man who kidnapped me. He is twisted and as dead to the world as a rock, which makes there little to hate. He is cruel, yes, very cruel… but dead. I have never seen eyes so empty, so haunting. I can only begin to imagine what the black King did to him, and who he once was. I doubt I'll ever know, but the curiosity remains.

I sent a letter to my family today. At least, I hope I sent it. I risked everything, even my family by sending that letter. The little girl who brings me my meals cannot speak, but she can hear and write. I gave her the note and told her where it must be sent. I know there is a possibility that she will take the note to the black King and I will be severely punished, and my family possibly killed. So I pray she will send it on. But my family must be safe! Hopefully I disguised my handwriting well enough that no one in Alagaesia would suspect me of writing it… my grandfather would be horrified if he knew I could write so atrociously. I told them to leave Uru'baen, to go far away and not to come back, and not let anyone know where they went… they must disappear. I know the move will hurt them, because they will not want to leave because of me. But I am lost to them, and they must go. My father knows this, and he will see that they are kept safe. My dear father…

I still have a hope that I'll see them again one day, but I know deep down that I will not. I regret not being there to help Niera and Corrine grow up. Niera, with her sweet smile, will be loved wherever she goes, but I feel like an older brother who has to constantly watch out for her. And Corrine… who is so much like me it is scary, will need someone very wise to guide her as she grows up. For her age she is so smart and precocious it's unnerving… I don't doubt father will soon see that he has another me on his hands, and that he will be able to keep up with her. O how I hope they will be safe, and grow up to be beautiful and happy women.

In all my worrying, I am glad for one thing; that my grandparents do not live in Uru'baen. I doubt they would move if they did, as they are both old and cannot travel well. I cannot imagine their shock upon learning that I disappeared…

All that I once had is gone. Any life I dreamed of is a ghost now. All I have left is this diary, which I am fortunate enough to have taken with me on my trip to Orina's, my necklace that grandmother gave me on my 13th birthday, a flower Corrine gave me that afternoon, and the pen I use now from father. Little things, but things I will cherish forever. Even the flower, which is now wilted, but Corrine's memory remains in that flower.

I knew that I would have to make my way in the world someday, and now is my chance. It will be hard, but when is life not? This is just another adventure… another nightmare. Who am I kidding? I am a girl stolen from home and forced… forced to be the wife of a man whom I despise and who has killed hundreds and caused many more to suffer. Yet despair will only make me lose hope, and without hope I am like the man, who seems to be the black King's captain, with his empty eyes and cruel mind.

There. Those are my thoughts, or at least some of them. We will see what tomorrow brings, if anything at all.

All my love goes out to my family, and I wish them all to safety and that they will not mourn for me too terribly… I miss them, and I always will. But they cannot know what has happened to me, it would kill them. Indeed I wish I didn't know what happened to me, but that is impossible and I will not hate my life.

Do not think that I am not afraid, because I am petrified. I have never been so scared in all my life, but I believe I have the strength to stand up against my fear, and to stay strong until the end.

Lenya Corsan."

Taya's voice faded away, leaving an empty silence in the room. Outside the storm had begun to pound the earth with rain, and thunder rumbled loudly, heralding the storm. This only made the entry of Lenya Corsan's all the more mysterious and all the more meaningful. Taya withdrew a piece of folded up paper from the back of the diary and handed it to her aunt.

"This is for you. It was tucked in the middle of the diary. I didn't read it."

Niera took the paper with a shaking hand, but did not open it. Taya looked into her eyes, and Niera said very softly,

"Thank you, Taya. I'll read this later. That sounds exactly like the sister I love and remember."

"Aunt Niera… what happened to Corrine?"

"Corrine died in childbirth at the age of 22. She looked exactly like Lenya, except her eyes weren't green and she was her own person. Lenya was right, though, in that Corrine was so much like her… they had the same personality. She met her husband when she was 17, and they married three years later. I don't know where he is now, but he was a wonderful, wonderful man. And no, the baby did not survive either. It was a very sad day, and we all were reminded of Lenya. And before you ask, the grandparents she mentioned were our father's parents, and they both died four years after she was kidnapped, very close together. Now, do you know who the man was she kept mentioning? Did she ever find out who he was?"

Taya frowned. "I don't really know. I certainly don't know of anyone meeting that description when I was growing up. And she never mentioned anything about herself to me. I was only twelve when died."

Niera took a deep breath. "Why does death seem to follow our family so closely?"

Taya froze. "I don't know, Aunt Niera. I don't know. But we can't worry about that. We can't. It would be the most wasted minute of our lives." Quoting her mother made Taya smile, and her smile, but more likely her words made Niera smile back.

"You sounded just like her, Taya. And you've helped me understand this all a little bit better. Thank you for reading that entry to me… now I think I will read her letter, and let you go back to your room to sleep. You look exhausted."

"Just a little tired, that's all. It certainly was an interesting day. Goodnight, Aunt Niera."

"Goodnight, Taya. See you in the morning."

Taya stood and with the diary left Niera sitting at the table, staring at the folded piece of paper written to her so many years ago. Taya looked back at her when she reached the stairs, wondering. Why did death seem to follow her family so closely? She'd lost her mother, an aunt, a cousin, and her great-grandparents. She had not asked her aunt about her grandparents, Niera and Lenya's parents. She would find that out at some other time, but she thought she knew the answer.

With a sigh, Taya shook her head to rid her mind of her dark thoughts, and walked up the stairs. She knocked, and Sasha opened the door. Her cousin looked tired, but she smiled.

"You were gone a while, but that was expected."

Taya walked in and sat on her bed, staring at the sleeping baby dragon. But before she could say anything, Sasha walked up and put a hand on her shoulder. Taya looked up into her tired, understanding brown eyes.

"Don't worry, we can talk tomorrow. I know it is better to sleep on it sometimes than talk about it immediately. Goodnight."

Taya stood and gave her a hug, then closed and locked the door after Sasha left. She looked at the sleeping dragon again.

'There. Those are my thoughts, or at least some of them. We will see what tomorrow brings, if anything at all.'

Lenya's words came back to her, and Taya smiled.

Yes, we will see what tomorrow brings.