Checking over the archive, I came across the subject of Laran's adoption into Dayna's family and whether she was a baby or child or whatever. I noticed an interesting fact. Dayna is skilled enough with her chosen weapons to deal successfully with multiples of the locals - armed, mounted locals. Furthermore, the weapons she uses require a high degree of training and skill - training I very much doubt her father had and that his partial blindness probably would have kept him from passing on even if he did.
So, this suggests Dayna had contact with an adult who _was_ trained and skilled in those weapons - and she was much more likely to find one of those in the neighborhood than among whatever friends did or didn't come to visit. Odds are, this adult was either one of Laran's parents or a guardian of some sort.
Anyone with anything like Dayna's weapons skill would be difficult to hold against his or her will (not to mention unlikely to foster good feeling between Dayna and Laran, or to teach Dayna anything useful). The most likely scenario is someone desperate enough to go to the weird aliens from Earth for help, someone with no place else to go. My guess would be either the survivor of a war between tribes or the survivor of some internal power struggle. Either way, Laran was a recognized heir of the losing group.
Attempts were made to attack the Melanbys, with known results. Eventually, these were stopped, possibly with the help of a local bard or soothsayer type who managed to interpret a traditional prophecy or convincingly come up with a new one that presented what were felt to be a very unlikely set of circumstances as the sign that war should be resumed in earnest.
This would also give Dayna somewhat better reasons for her homicidal treatment of the neighbors and for her father's tolerance of it. If she was avenging foster-mother, fighting people who had murdered her foster-sister's family the same way her biological mother and family had been murdered, her actions make much more sense. So does what happened to Laran. If she was some kind of lost heir, she was a threat as long as she lived. Also, it kind of gives a new meaning to her rejoining her people.
It also makes me wonder whether Dayna wouldn't have counted as another heir, being Laran's adopted sister (I hate to leave a family revenge story hanging [er . . . unpleasant double meaning not intended]).
Actually, suppose Dayna's mother was a _local_ (we probably have to presuppose Terran humans aged a little faster, since she looked a bit older than Laran). Given Terran prejudices, Melanby would be quick to tell Avon she was born on _Earth_ (a story Dayna might believe - although her question whether she _looked_ like the natives wasn't actually a denial).
Whew, Dayna now has an excellent reason to survive GP, too many unresolved plot issues.
Ellynne ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.