Author's note: A thousand thanks to my lone reviewer- Darkbane13.... Yeah.... But I won't rant... perhaps if posted my stories in the right category I'd get more hits. But who am I to complain... Wait! I'm a... well... I take that back. I got nothing. Oh, and sorry about the chapter length. I write essays, not stories. Actually, if anyone wants this, I'll give them the plot free of charge- I've even got others they can have. I'm really sick of writing it...

Disclaimer: Janet Reno- eat your heart out- John Cleese sooooo has better legs than you. Oh, and I don't own Dragonlance. Now get me the machine that goes BING!

Chapter 2

Finally recovered from her historic bout of post-Test celebrating, Ayon stopped at a local tailor to replace her white robes. Somehow, she didn't believe her parents would believe all of the stains and rents were the product of her travels- which they weren't.

Freshly clad in new robes, Ayon marched up the walk and steeled herself for the meeting with her parents. She'd been away from doting, cautious family for nearly a year, so feared the worst from her affectionate mauling-prone mother, but instead of the expected rush of sappiness, a strait-faced servant answered her knocking.

"Lady Ayon," he clipped. "Your Lady mother awaits you in the west drawing room."

Ayon only nodded to taciturn elf, watching him execute a painfully perfect bow and turning from the door at the same instant. We should get this guy into the army, she thought, he's got more grace in him than most of my ladies-in-waiting. Too bad that rod's so far up his arse, she amended.

"My lady, where are you going? Your other wished to see you the moment you arrived."

Ayon blushed slightly, realizing she'd been heading towards her basement laboratory and not the western wing of the house.

"If she really wished to see me that promptly, she'd have met me at the door," she told the servant shortly, promising silently to reduce his pay- graceful or not. That'd teach him to embarrass members of the noble caste. With another slightly more derisive sniffle, she turned on her heel and walked from the foyer to the door of the drawing room. Instead of opening it herself, she stood imperiously and waited for the man to get the hint. Now blushing and fuming furiously, the servant opened to door, catching it on his foot and nearly tripping himself in transit. Suddenly shocked at her prima onna carriage, Ayon smiled at the devastated man and vowed silently to increase his pay, or at least send a regular feast home for his family.

"Ayon, child, come in here and let me look at you," a tired and only vaguely familiar voice said from the room. Bracing herself, Ayon stepped in to the darken room, and was nearly bowled over by her mother's entrapping hug.

"I'm so sorry child, I wish it weren't so," the normally composed she-elf sobbed.

"Mother! What is it? Where's father?"

This, apparently, was exactly the wrong this to say. A fresh wave of pitiful sobs overtook the older woman.

"Oh, my dear. He's left us. He's all gone!"

Ayon started at this. While infidelity was occasional in the lower ranks, it was totally unheard of in the upper echelons of the elvish race.

"Why? With who?" Ayon, furious at the slight done to her family, grabbed her distraught mother by the shoulders and nearly shook away what little sense she had left.

"What are you talking about? He didn't leave with anyone! Your father died cold and alone from an assassin's blade!"

Shocked from her mother's bold declaration, Ayon didn't even try to catch the suddenly unconscious woman. "Dead?" she asked the unswerving dark.