Timeline:  About the time when M'ressan wakes up.

	Mearn stood and stretched.  Seeing M'ressan wake up had been good for him.
Seeing his daughter had been even better.  Mearn felt almost as happy as he
knew M'ressan must.  Seeing the way he and Christalla kissed, however, Mearn
decided it was time to leave.  One never knew just what two people who had
been through what they had would do in a Medical Center when they didn't
think anyone was around.  On second though, maybe they did know he was
there, but didn't care.  If that were the case ... Mearn decided he didn't
want to think about it.
	"Well, I think I'll be on my way now.  I'm pleased to say you're going to
live.  Congratulations on the birth of your daughter M'ressan.  Christalla,
it was a pleasure meeting you," he managed to fit into one long breath.  He
smiled.  Rem yawned and stretched and looked at M'ressan and his daughter.
Suddenly Mearn burst into laughter.
	"No, you can't Rem.  She's just been born.  She needs to see her mother and
father now, not you.  Plenty of time for you to meet her later."  Seeing the
looks on M'ressan and Christalla's faces, he explained.  "She wanted to
introduce herself to your daughter."
	M'ressan appeared lost in thought.  "Well, I don't think that would..." he
started, but Mearn cut him off.
	"While I have no doubt of her good intentions, I don't think she knows how
delicate babies are.  There will be plenty of time for them to meet later."
He turned and headed for the door.
	"Wait." M'ressan called.  Mearn turned, a questioning look on his face.
"Alanth tells me you saved my life."  He pauses, searching for words.
"Thank you."
	"Well, I'm told I wasn't the only one who had a hand in it."  Mearn extends
his hand to M'ressan.  "Let's just call it a healing experience, for both of
us."  The two shake hands, and Mearn smiles.  He then turns and heads out
the door.
	"See." he says to Rem in a voice that others can barely hear.  "I told you
there wouldn't be any real problems."  He chuckles as they step outside the
medical center.  He stops in his tracks though, as Alanth turns to look at him.
	"Have you been up all this time big fella?" Mearn asks, then shakes his
head.  "What am I doing.  I can't read your thoughts here.  What are you
looking for?"  The last is spoken as Alanth turns his head skyward.  "Oh
well.  M'ressan's inside resting.  I have the feeling those two are going to
try for another, and I think I smell food cooking somewhere.  So, I'm going
to get something to eat."  He reaches up and scratches Alanth under his chin.
	Mearn and Rem begin moving to the dining area.  Entering, they are greeted
by a few people met the day before.  He grabs sufficient food to feed both
of them, and sits down at a long table.  The look in his eyes states that he
hasn't slept nearly enough.
	The meal passes slowly and quietly for Mearn, who appears either lost in
thought, or in communication with Rem.  Several times he closes his eyes
just long enough for people to wonder if he's fallen asleep.  Eventually Rem
trots out of the dining area, and Mearn carries the dishes to the kitchen.
If possible, he looks even more asleep than when he entered.
	Halfway to the kitchen, Mearn stops.  All traces of sleep vanish from his
face, and his eyes open wide in shock.  The sound of dishes hitting the
floor draws everyone's eyes to him.  Finally, he whispers one word.
"Impossible."  Only those close to him hear, but everyone wonders what's
happened when he dashes out of the kitchen.
	Several people follow, leaving half eaten meals.  They do not have to
follow far though, as he is stopped only 20 feet away from a few bushes.  He
and Rem are staring at the bushes almost in awe.  The approach of others
disturbs a pair of ravens who were hiding in the bushes.  As they fly
overhead, both Mearn and Rem track their flight.  "Were they staring at the
birds?  If so, why?" people wonder.
	Finally, when the ravens are lost to sight, Mearn sits down and buries his
head in his arms.  Rem sits herself next to him.  "Can she be crying?  It
certainly looks like it."  people quietly ask each other.  "Do wolves cry?"
Mearn certainly is, though he's trying hard to hide it.
	After a few minutes, he recovers.  His breathing slows, and he reaches over
and hugs Rem.  Quietly he says, "I wish they were here too, but they're not.
We're alone here.  We'll just have to do the best we can until we find a way
back home."  The two are still sitting there when most people realize that
whatever's happening is something very personal between the two of them.
Quietly, everyone goes back to the dining hall.  Several speculate on what
the significance of this event is, and on who 'they' are.
	
	Almost half an hour later Mearn returns to the dining hall.  He moves to
the spot where he dropped the dishes, but they have been cleaned up already.
He smiles, and goes to the kitchen.  "Need any help with anything?" he asks
Sheltie.
	"I've got everything under control." she replies, then notices the
expression on his face.  "You should go get some sleep.  Without meaning to
be insulting, you look awful."
	Mearn chuckles.  "I guess I must all things considered.  I think that's not
a bad idea.  Thank you.  I apologize for the mess I left."
	"Don't worry about it."  Sheltie starts to ask a question, but stops
herself.  Mearn either doesn't notice, or simply doesn't respond.
	Mearn turns and leaves the dining hall, with Rem following.  He pauses, and
glances to the medical center again.  "Gotta find a more permanent place to
sleep.  They're gonna get sick of me there real soon at this rate."  The two
move to the med center.
	"Any chance I can borrow a bed for a few hours?" he asks the first person
he finds.
	"You sick?" the man responds.  He then stops to examine Mearn.  Noticing
Mearn's expression, his face softens.  "Come with me."
	The man leads Mearn to a small room with an empty bed.  "If there's someone
injured who needs it, I'm gonna come and ask you to leave, but until that
point, you can rest here."
	"Thanks." Mearn responds, and practically falls into the bed.  Rem curls up
at the foot of the bed, but her eyes do not close.  Her eyes watch the
doorway through which they entered.
	The unknown man, just going off shift, steps out of the medical center for
a breath of fresh air.  As he approaches the dining hall, a pair of ravens
take flight from the bushes.  They land briefly in front of the Med. Center,
looking at it momentarily before taking off again.  Soon they pass over the
face of the cliff and are lost from sight.  

    Jack Alan Shot -- jackshot@indy.net  -- Just a Shot in the Dark
   P.U.R.P.L.E. Treasurer (People United Respecting Purple Legal Equality)
   -- Second Impact Consulting - When you need the most from the system --
     http://www.indy.net/~jackshot/  - The World According to Jack
             "One taught me of China Roses" -- Enya