Subject: The Morning After
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 16:18:00 -0500
authors: teri and ian

Shinji had gotten up just as the sun had risen. He had slipped outside as
quietly as he could, not wanting to wake anyone else at this early hour.
Now, finishing up a quick round of stretches and exercises, he immediately
began looking for Sullam. He searched the entire cottage perimiter. No
Sullam. He searched the roof of the cottage. No Sullam. Now he was feeling
just a little annoyed.
"Where is he?" Shinji asked, exasperated. He sat himself down on the
cottage roof, chin on his hands. A bird had begun a very loud and annoying
cawwing somewhere in the trees. After a minute or two, it began grating on
Shinji's nerves.
"WOULD YOU PLEASE SHUT UP?!" he shouted. The bird payed no attention, and
resumed it's hellish courus, louder and more insistent than before. Shinji
cursed his luck that he would be caught in the middle of nowhere where the
only birds were the devil's choir boys. "Maybe he's inside..." Shinji
muttered, hopping to the ground. He turned and slipped inside, closing the
door behind him

***
Teri made her way back to the cottage, her back rigid with knotted muscles.
 She had fallen asleep, apparently, but where Clip had gone she had no
idea. The nerve of him leaving her, asleep, and all alone in the woods!
But then she touched her lips and couldn't help a smile.

She supposed spending a night alone and freezing in the woods was worth it.

She still tingled with rememebrance of his broadsending.

Breaking the tree cover, her eyes darted immediately to a hunched shape on
the roof. A shape with a flapping white bandanna.

"Doesn't that annoy you?" SHe called, picking wayward leaves from her hair
as she neared the cottage.

"No," Shinji said simply, and rather curtly as well.

Teri tilted her head, and smiled. "Well we're in a great mood this morning
aren't we?"

"I'm bored, and can't find Sullam or Stana anywhere. Have you seen Clip?"

Teri tried to hide a blush-- she wasn't sure how well Shinji could see her
from the rooftop. "Not in awhile, no.  Stana's not around? Is Rashka?"

The boy shook his head and darted another peeved look at the birds
chirruping happily next to him.

Teri shrugged. "They're probably out looking for more herbs or something.
I'm starving-- have you eaten yet?"

Shinji landed next to the girl. "Nope," he replied, and followed her into
the house.