It was getting late and she'd hoped Saul would be back by now. Shawnee had
just checked on Fawna for the third time and found the little girl sleeping,
then went back into the living room and laid down on the couch. Just to rest
her eyes for a bit, she told herself and that was the last thing she
remembered until she was awoken when she felt warm loving lips cover hers.

She woke to his kiss and smiled, "You're home .."

>He nodded and knelt down next to her, "I missed you .." He grabbed the belt
of the robe and pulled it loose allowing the light fabric fall away from her
naked body. His lips gently kissed her protruding belly, "And you too," he
whispered.

>Shawnee giggled. "You'll have to wait a couple more months to kiss your
daughter, love."

>He shrugged, "Guess I'll have to settle for kissing her mother." He suavely
moved to pick her up and carry her toward their bedroom, but tripped in the
process, landing both of them back on the couch. Shawnee chuckled, but Saul
looked at her with wide eyes, "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

>"No, you didn't. But perhaps I'd better walk. I think perhaps I'm getting
to heavy for you sweep me off my feet."

>She pouted a little and he smiled gently, "You will never be too heavy for
me. But .." he sighed, "Perhaps you had better walk. No point in me
endangering our child's life."

She chuckled again. He helped her off the couch and they walked hand in hand
into their bedroom. Not for the first time thanking the Gods that he had
come to accept that he was going to be a father so easily. 

"So did you get a chance to talk to Thorin tonight?" she asked as he was
helping her out of her robe and into their bed.

"No. Something came up and we didn't get the chance to talk," he told her
drawing her body up close to his as he 
got in beside her. "But I found a searching and brought her back to the Warren."



"Well maybe tomorrow," she yawned and cuddled closer to his warmth.

"You know I think tomorrow maybe you should take it easy and rest," Saul's
voice sounded concerned. "I think you've been over doing it a little to much."

"I'll slow down when Ojee's home," she told him.

He settled down next to her but didn't argue. It wouldn't have done him any
good anyway because he noticed she was already asleep.

He knew this was hard on her. Knew how much she cared about her brother and
how it was tearing her a part each time they had to come back to the Warren
without him. But she couldn't go on as she was. Not eating enough, not
getting enough sleep. All the stress she was under surely wasn't doing their
baby any good. He just had to come up with a way to get her to slow down.

He didn't wake her sometime later when Fayloth told him that Levka was
requesting a few moments of his time. Nor did he wake her when he returned a
while later after taking to Derry and being told about the meeting in the
morning. 

No Derry had been right about coming to him with the news about the kids. If
Shawnee had heard about it she wouldn't have gotten any sleep and would have
been no good to the kids, if it was Cill and Ojee. 

Better to wait until they knew for sure and then if Katla's information
proved to be good, then he could bring Ojee back home to her without the
chances of getting her hopes up for nothing.

Now all he had to do was make sure she stayed home and rested tomorrow. At
lease for part of the day at lease. 

(Jill & Kris, what ever is said is up to you.)

Clarissa
*********

(early the next morning)

Doing paper work just as the sun was on the rise was not the way Clarissa
would have liked to have started the morning. But it had been piling up and
now seemed like a good time. Hopefully she could get if caught up and then
head out and find something exciting to do. Something to enjoy on her day off.

She was surprised a little later when Juniper informed her about a query
from Saul's Fayloth and wondered why the handsome rider was asking for her
after swearing never to talk to her again. That made her smile.

Several minutes later there was a knocking at her door and Saul pushed it
open even before she could call out a welcome.

The man most defiantly didn't look happy. 

"What's wrong? She asked the healer in her taking over at once. "Shawnee's
okay?"

"Yes... no... Oh hell," he sounded confused and more than a little
concerned. "I know she's worried about her brother being missing. Who could
blame her? But she's not eating, nor sleeping at night for very long. It's
wearing her out. I'm trying to make sure she eats and gets plenty of rest...
but..."

He paused to take a breath but before he could go on the healer held up her
hand to stop him.

"And you would like me to do something about it?"

"You owe me this," he told her, his deep blue eyes meeting and holding hers
as he spoke. "I mean fair's fair after what the two of you did to me. I
don't care how you do it, but I need you to keep her in the Warren this
morning for a few hours. After that if everything goes well she'll be to
happy to be mad."

The last sentence didn't slip by, she caught onto what he said. "You've
heard something about the kids?"

"We've had some news about them and I don't want Shawnee to know and get her
hopes up in case it's not Cill and her brother. I don't think she could take
it if she was disappointed again."

"No...I see what you mean," she agreed. "But don't you think she'd feel
better if she knew there was some hope of them being found?"

"I'm only thinking about how she'll feel if it's not them," his voice sound
almost like a whisper. 

"All right Saul," she said finally. "I'll have Juniper call Doshy and ask
her to come by in a bit for a check up. It's about that time anyway. So she
shouldn't think anything is wrong."

"Thank you Clarissa. I'll tell Cali myself that she won't be going with us
this morning," he sighed in relief. "I couldn't bear it if anything happened
to her... or the baby."

Shawnee
********

Saul was back in their apartment before Shawnee awoke, so she never knew
he'd been gone. The message from the Healer reached her just as they were
finishing breakfast. 

"What is it love?" Saul asked when he saw her frowning.

"Doshy just told me she just got a message from Clarissa's Juniper asking me
to come by and see her this morning for a check up," she told him. 

"Well that sounds like a good idea with everything you've been doing
lately," he told her while reaching for her hand. "You're exhausted and
that's not good for our baby."

"But I need to help look for Ojee," she countered.

"Love the rest of us will go out today and look. You can join us later if
Clarissa agrees you're okay." He assured her, wanting her to know that no
one was giving up on finding the kids until they were home again.

"But Ojee can hear Doshy... she needs to be there," the blond reminded him.
"What if he calls and none of the other dragons can hear him? Don't you see
I have to be there. Doshy and I!!"

"Well we'll see what Clarissa has to say first," his tone was firm and she
had learned long ago not to argue with him when he used that tone. She never
won.

-------------

"I want you to rest this morning," Clarissa told her an hour later after
giving her a going over. "You've been over doing it, I can tell by just
looking at you. But if your good this morning and get a few hours sleep and
*eat* a good meal then I'll allow you to go out with the searchers then."

"I can't wait until this afternoon," Shawnee told her, her tone pleading the
healer to understand. "Doshy is the only chance Ojee might have of calling
the dragons for help if we can get close enough. I have to go!!"

The healer shook her head. "you're not going to do Ojean or Cill any good if
you're too tired to sit on your dragon. You'll be more of a hinderance than
a help to the searchers. And you have your baby to think about. What do you
think all this stress is going to the babe?"

"But I feel fine!!" 

"You don't look fine to me and the test prove it!" Clarissa raised her voice
to shout over the female dragonrider. "I'm sorry Shawnee but my decision is
final. Get some rest this morning and eat a good meal and then I'll
reconsider allowing you to go out with the searchers later. I'll have
Juniper ask Trinale to reinforce the order if I have to."

Shawnee didn't say anything, just stood there staring back at the healer
while trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall. 

"Shawnee I know you are worried about your brother. We all are. I've come to
like the kid a lot, but you have a baby to worry about and your sister. What
will she do if anything happens to you while trying to teleport when you're
to tired to think right?"

"I'm only asking you to get some rest before going out again. I should be
grounding you from flight altogether, but I know how important this is to you."

"A few hours rest. That's all," Shawnee agreed though her heart wasn't in
it. "Then I'm getting on Doshy and I'll look for him by myself if I have to."

----------  

Saul didn't leave to join the others until he was sure that his mate was
sleeping soundly. Then he called Fayloth and had him fly him down to the
green where the others who were going were waiting.

"Is everyone ready?" he asked and looked around to see the others nodding
their heads. "Then Katla have Sakinka show us all a picture of where we're
going, and let's all pray we can bring the kids home where they belong."

--------------------------------------------   

(Tag Jill...let's go find the kids!!)

*****Submitted by: ********

Barbara (A.k.a.

Shawnee & Doshayne 
Whiteriver Warren