Chapter 3 - Many Meetings
"Told ya so." Jay said simply as she shoved the two slips of paper into her brother's chest. Her brother looked at her quizzically as he peeled the partially crumpled papers off of his shirt. He studied them for a moment, his brow knit in deep thought. Jay could see his fingers working furiously, and knew he calculating.
"That's more money than we make in about year and a half." He said finally, seemingly pleased with himself.
"Oh, you're a quick one." Jay said, picking through her brother's left over food. "I thought you said you were going to get a drink."
"I was, but someone convinced me otherwise." Leos said, glancing toward the young red headed waitress, who smiled and waved at him. Jay shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"You're hopeless, you know that right?"
"Nope, my hope is standing right over there." He said, not taking his eyes off the girl.
"You say that about every pretty face we pass. Trust me, this is going nowhere. Now c'mon, we've got to look for this kid and his mother." Jay said, getting up from the table, and trying to get him to do the same. Leos sat and chewed his food thoughtfully, much the annoyance of his younger sibling.
"You do know that every ship in the sky will be looking for them right?" he said, after swallowing his food. Jay smirked and put one hand on her hip.
"Of coarse, but we're one step ahead of anyone else." She said mysteriously, dangling the little tidbit, and waiting for her brother to take the bait. Leos wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, intentionally stalling to try and further her aggravation.
"Ok, tell me. What do we know, that no one else does?" He said finally, putting his hands behind his head and propping his feet up on the seat across from him. Jay's eyes lit up as she pulled out the seat his feet were rested on and sat down, leaning over the table.
"We know where they are." She said quietly trying not to draw attention to them. Leos grinned and scratched the back of his head.
"You're talking about that light we saw last night near Shine Isle, aren't you?"
"Well duh, moron. Put two and two together. Or do you need me to spell it out for you?"
"Please, spell it out for me you would, your highness." Leos said cockily, causing his sister bury her face in her hands.
"Why do I put up with you." She muttered, her voice muffled. Leos reached over and patted her head.
"Because we're family. Now really, tell how you figure that light over there was them."
"Alright." Jay said, lifting her head and looking at her brother with a piercing blue gaze. "Let's make a list of what we know. A) Vyse himself told us that his son and wife were at the Shine Isle graveyard three days ago. B) Yesterday, we saw a strange light coming from a small island near Shine Isle. C) I am holding the search papers that state plainly that they are, in fact, missing. Need any more hints?"
"Nope, I think that about covers it." Her sibling said, trying to pick something out of his teeth with a small knife.
"And it doesn't excite you that we're pretty much set for about eighteen months?"
"I won't get excited until I get to see the money." He said simply, putting the knife back into its sheath. "Why are you so excited about it anyway? I thought you hated pirates, not to mention big famous pirates."
"I do." She said softly, fingering the blue moonstone that hung around her neck. "But, if we can do this, we can finally take a vacation. That's something we haven't done since." Jay's voice trailed off, as her eyes seemed to focus on something distant. Without conscious thought, she began to clutch the stone fiercely, it's smooth edges indenting her skin. Leos gently reached over and uncurled her fingers from it, bringing her attention back to him.
"C'mon Sis." He said, standing up, still holding onto her hand. "Let's go find us the son of a Hero."
****************************************
Ryne lay cross-legged on his bed of grass, his eyes closed in deep concentration, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of face until it reached the peak of his chin and dropped silently on his lap. His stomach roared in protest to the emptiness that had become all too familiar to him in the three days that he'd been here, though he didn't let this fact consume his thoughts. The only thing that mattered right now was the rock.
It wasn't special by any standards, and was even quite ugly. Its facetted edges had been digging into his back throughout the night, and strengthened his resolve to rid himself of it. His right hand, stretched over it, began to glow softly as he channeled the energy of the moons through it. The moons give us strength; the familiar words of mother came, filling his head with past lessons. Anything is possible with the full aid of the moons; all you need do is ask.
Ryne concentrated on this last phrase and uttered a quick prayer to the moons for their help. Through them he could see the rock clearly, see how far it dug into the sand, know it's weight and true size. A grin started to flit across his face as he began to imagine the rock dissolving, slipping away slowly, and blowing away with the wind. In his mind's eye he could clearly see that the rock was gone. He opened his eyes excitedly and stared down at the spot where the rock once was. or still was.
The full aid of the moons comes only when the need is great.
Ry sighed and got up, his legs buckling under his weight. How long did I sit there? He wondered silently. Oh well. at least if got my mind off of food.
*****************************************
The night air was cool and refreshing as it danced over the face of an impatient six-year-old girl, rocking on her heels as she grasped the railing of the widow's watch atop their Mid-Ocean home. Her bright blue eyes scan the horizon, searching for the familiar shape of her father's ship, and the potential gift that may be in tow. Behind her, her mother watches her, careful not to let her slip over the edge of the railing. She is just as anxious for the return of her husband, though not for the same reasons as the little girl she watched over.
Silently, a sleek ship pulls through the cloud cover, it's sails billowing in the gentle wind. A merchant flag waves over the crow's nest, in which a figure becomes visible, waving their arms furiously, welcoming the pair as they come nearer to dock. The girl runs, her long curly hair trailing behind her, her only thought of her father's return. When she arrives at the dock she finds her father leaning on a post, awaiting her arrival. Without a second thought she flings herself into his strong arms, embracing him as only a child would.
"What'dij'ya bring me?" She asks excitedly, able to contain herself no longer. Wordlessly, her father reaches into the breast pocket of his sleeveless coat and pulls out an intricately woven gold chain, a transparent blue moonstone hanging brilliantly from the center. Undoing the clasp at the back, he reaches down and places it around her neck. The small girl clutches it her small hands and looks up to her father, beaming brightly.
"I love you daddy."
**************************************************
"Alright Jay, which one was it now?"
Jay jumped, startled back into the real world. She looked over at her brother who was manning the wheel, realized she was still holding onto her necklace, and let go of it with a look of surprise.
"What?" She asked, trying to recover quickly.
"Which island was it?" Her brother repeated, not taking his sight from the skies ahead of them.
"Oh, yeah." She said quietly, walking closer to the windows for a better look, though the setting sun made it slightly more difficult. "It was that one over there. Southwest of Shine Isle."
"I hope you're right about this Jay." Leos said, "Otherwise, we'd be wasting a whole lot of fuel for nothing."
"Trust me." Jay said, giving him the flashiest grin she could muster. Leos ignored it and busied himself with pointing the ship in the right direction. Jay felt the ship lurch slightly as the deck she was standing on became significantly less level. Leos grinned as he looked back at his flailing sister.
"Oh yeah, hold on." He said, casually.
"Thanks for the warning." Jay said, her arms locked in a vice grip onto her station.
As the small island began to fill the window, Jay began to see it more clearly. It was fairly small, having a diameter of about twenty meters around, and was covers with trees and various other forms of foliage. A small trickle of water was flowing over the side of it, and making its decent into the dark depths of deep sky. Through the tree cover, she could see a small pond with pieces of wood floating in it, which cemented her theory in her mind, though she could see no sign as of yet that told of people being there.
"We're going to have to get as close to island as we can, anchor it, and go down in a life boat." Her brother said, surveying the task ahead of them. Slowly, he brought the ship close to the island, turning slightly so that the left side of the boat was facing the land, and dipping down a bit more, trying to stay as level to the shore as he could. With the flip of a switch, he opened the left side cargo compartment that housed the two small life rafts.
"We'll, get down there Sis, time's a wastin." Leos said slapping her on the back, and giving her a shove toward the stairs.
"Hey, wait a sec." She said, struggling against her brother's grip. "You're not coming with me?"
"Nope, it's only a three person raft." He said, letting her go. "And I really don't want to take both of them of one will do the job perfectly." Jay glared at her brother, and bit down on her lip.
"I hate you." She grumbled, unlatching the door in front of her.
"Naw, you love me."
Jay sighed and shut the door behind her, missing her brother's last comment. A harsh wind was whipping through storage area, licking at Jay's exposed arms and stomach, making her wish she'd worn her overcoat. Shivering, she hopped into the closest raft, working the small console skillfully until it hummed to life and hovered inches off if the wooden decking. Carefully, she gripped the two yokes and eased the boat out of the large wooden doors, careful not to let it scratch the sides. The last thing she needed was more material for Leos to tease her about.
The dimming twilight, and the wind made it a little harder for her to make a soft landing, but she managed with all the skill of a veteran pilot. She landed on the sandy area close to the water, and jumped over the edge of the small raft. Her eyes scanned the edge of the small beach, squinting in the dim light. She was just about to call out, when she spotted someone, lying just in front of the tree line, shirtless, and sleeping on a bed of grass. Quietly, so a not to disturb him yet, she made her way over to him, kneeling at his side. For a moment she watched him, listened the slow, steady rhythm of his breath, watching his chest rise and fall. Jay sighed. Too bad you had to be an Air Pirate.
With no further hesitation, Jay leaned over him and shook him gently. Surprised, Ry's eyes fluttered open. Suddenly, he became aware of the girl leaning overtop of him, her bright blue eyes staring straight into his.
"Am I dreaming?" He said, pressing his eyes shut and shaking his head, as if to clear it.
"Want me to pinch you or something?" She said, giving him a lopsided grin. "C'mon, let's get you out of here and into some clothes." Ryne smiled weakly and grabbed the rolled up shirts behind his head and put them on, before getting up and following Jay's slow gait to the raft. Jay glanced over at him as he caught up.
"So. where's your Mother?" She asked, keeping her voice even. The fact that she wasn't with him said a lot. Ryne just stared down at the ground, not answering her for fear of losing control of his emotions. They walked the rest of the way to the raft in silence.
"I'm sorry." Jay said finally, once they reached the small boat. "I know what it's like to lose a parent." Ryne looked up at her, green eyes blazing in defiance.
"She's not dead." He stated forcefully, then slipping back into silence. Jay didn't say anything. She'd gone through the same thing when her parents had died, and the best thing for her do was probably to drop it and leave it alone.
"Well. I'm Jaycera Delasari." She said, quickly changing the subject and extending her hand, which he took.
"Ryne Vyse." He said simply.
"I know." She said, pulling the search information out of her pocket and showing it to him. "We've been looking for you." Ryne took the paper, and looked it over.
"That's my dad." he said softly. "I'm not worth nearly that much."
"Yeah, well you are to me at the moment, so could you get in the boat?" Jay said, hopping into the boat, her fingers flying over the controls. Ry briskly jumped into the tiny boat, sitting down on the floor and wrapping his arms around his legs. Jay lifted off the small island, the sun now completely gone, her ship barely visible, and the wind tearing at her tiny raft. Ryne winced as he was knocked against the back of the boat, by a sudden burst of air. Jay wrestled with the controls, the wind whipping her long ponytail around her neck, until she finally managed to work it into the bay doors, where Leos was waiting, his arms crossed.
"And where have you been, children?" He said, trying his best to keep a straight face. Jay set the ship down, and hopped out.
"Give it a rest, moron." Leos ignored his sister and strode past her to the silver haired newcomer, who was making his way out of the life raft and rubbing his shoulders. He took hand a shook it vigorously.
"Leos Delasari, of Delasari Shipping. Pilot of the cargo ship the Seventh Gigas, and currently, your rescuer. If there's anything you need, let me know." Ryne smiled weakly.
"Got any food?"
************************************
Ryne ate ravenously. After three days of eating nothing, his stomach felt like it was going to digest itself. Leos had shown him to a small bunk room, which he told him was his for the night, and then brought him a large tray of food comprised of mostly large fruits and dried meats. He didn't know what the meat was, but at the moment it was divine. The fruits had also been welcome, and his face was dripping with orange colored goo. Finally satisfied, he settled down into the comfortable bed, resting his head on his hands. His mind started to wander as he slowly dropped off into unconsciousness. He pictured his mother, of her green eyes shining and her smile.
************************************
Jay lay in her bed, enjoying the gentle rocking of the boat, her eyes closed. Many thoughts raced through her head, but there was one thing that kept popping up unto the surface of her mind. A silver haired boy, sleeping gently on the beach, the wind teasing his wild hair. She kept trying to push it out of her mind, but so far it hadn't been working. Don't do this to yourself Jay. You can't fall for an air pirate. Finally, in desperation, she got out of bed and pulled a chair to the window, looking out to the vast skies, and gazing up at the Silver moon. She watched the unusually slow decent of a silver moonstone, as it made it's way toward Arcadia, landing surprising close to where they currently were. Jay sighed, and returned to her bed, still fighting off thoughts of the man in the room across from hers.
"Told ya so." Jay said simply as she shoved the two slips of paper into her brother's chest. Her brother looked at her quizzically as he peeled the partially crumpled papers off of his shirt. He studied them for a moment, his brow knit in deep thought. Jay could see his fingers working furiously, and knew he calculating.
"That's more money than we make in about year and a half." He said finally, seemingly pleased with himself.
"Oh, you're a quick one." Jay said, picking through her brother's left over food. "I thought you said you were going to get a drink."
"I was, but someone convinced me otherwise." Leos said, glancing toward the young red headed waitress, who smiled and waved at him. Jay shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"You're hopeless, you know that right?"
"Nope, my hope is standing right over there." He said, not taking his eyes off the girl.
"You say that about every pretty face we pass. Trust me, this is going nowhere. Now c'mon, we've got to look for this kid and his mother." Jay said, getting up from the table, and trying to get him to do the same. Leos sat and chewed his food thoughtfully, much the annoyance of his younger sibling.
"You do know that every ship in the sky will be looking for them right?" he said, after swallowing his food. Jay smirked and put one hand on her hip.
"Of coarse, but we're one step ahead of anyone else." She said mysteriously, dangling the little tidbit, and waiting for her brother to take the bait. Leos wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, intentionally stalling to try and further her aggravation.
"Ok, tell me. What do we know, that no one else does?" He said finally, putting his hands behind his head and propping his feet up on the seat across from him. Jay's eyes lit up as she pulled out the seat his feet were rested on and sat down, leaning over the table.
"We know where they are." She said quietly trying not to draw attention to them. Leos grinned and scratched the back of his head.
"You're talking about that light we saw last night near Shine Isle, aren't you?"
"Well duh, moron. Put two and two together. Or do you need me to spell it out for you?"
"Please, spell it out for me you would, your highness." Leos said cockily, causing his sister bury her face in her hands.
"Why do I put up with you." She muttered, her voice muffled. Leos reached over and patted her head.
"Because we're family. Now really, tell how you figure that light over there was them."
"Alright." Jay said, lifting her head and looking at her brother with a piercing blue gaze. "Let's make a list of what we know. A) Vyse himself told us that his son and wife were at the Shine Isle graveyard three days ago. B) Yesterday, we saw a strange light coming from a small island near Shine Isle. C) I am holding the search papers that state plainly that they are, in fact, missing. Need any more hints?"
"Nope, I think that about covers it." Her sibling said, trying to pick something out of his teeth with a small knife.
"And it doesn't excite you that we're pretty much set for about eighteen months?"
"I won't get excited until I get to see the money." He said simply, putting the knife back into its sheath. "Why are you so excited about it anyway? I thought you hated pirates, not to mention big famous pirates."
"I do." She said softly, fingering the blue moonstone that hung around her neck. "But, if we can do this, we can finally take a vacation. That's something we haven't done since." Jay's voice trailed off, as her eyes seemed to focus on something distant. Without conscious thought, she began to clutch the stone fiercely, it's smooth edges indenting her skin. Leos gently reached over and uncurled her fingers from it, bringing her attention back to him.
"C'mon Sis." He said, standing up, still holding onto her hand. "Let's go find us the son of a Hero."
****************************************
Ryne lay cross-legged on his bed of grass, his eyes closed in deep concentration, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of face until it reached the peak of his chin and dropped silently on his lap. His stomach roared in protest to the emptiness that had become all too familiar to him in the three days that he'd been here, though he didn't let this fact consume his thoughts. The only thing that mattered right now was the rock.
It wasn't special by any standards, and was even quite ugly. Its facetted edges had been digging into his back throughout the night, and strengthened his resolve to rid himself of it. His right hand, stretched over it, began to glow softly as he channeled the energy of the moons through it. The moons give us strength; the familiar words of mother came, filling his head with past lessons. Anything is possible with the full aid of the moons; all you need do is ask.
Ryne concentrated on this last phrase and uttered a quick prayer to the moons for their help. Through them he could see the rock clearly, see how far it dug into the sand, know it's weight and true size. A grin started to flit across his face as he began to imagine the rock dissolving, slipping away slowly, and blowing away with the wind. In his mind's eye he could clearly see that the rock was gone. He opened his eyes excitedly and stared down at the spot where the rock once was. or still was.
The full aid of the moons comes only when the need is great.
Ry sighed and got up, his legs buckling under his weight. How long did I sit there? He wondered silently. Oh well. at least if got my mind off of food.
*****************************************
The night air was cool and refreshing as it danced over the face of an impatient six-year-old girl, rocking on her heels as she grasped the railing of the widow's watch atop their Mid-Ocean home. Her bright blue eyes scan the horizon, searching for the familiar shape of her father's ship, and the potential gift that may be in tow. Behind her, her mother watches her, careful not to let her slip over the edge of the railing. She is just as anxious for the return of her husband, though not for the same reasons as the little girl she watched over.
Silently, a sleek ship pulls through the cloud cover, it's sails billowing in the gentle wind. A merchant flag waves over the crow's nest, in which a figure becomes visible, waving their arms furiously, welcoming the pair as they come nearer to dock. The girl runs, her long curly hair trailing behind her, her only thought of her father's return. When she arrives at the dock she finds her father leaning on a post, awaiting her arrival. Without a second thought she flings herself into his strong arms, embracing him as only a child would.
"What'dij'ya bring me?" She asks excitedly, able to contain herself no longer. Wordlessly, her father reaches into the breast pocket of his sleeveless coat and pulls out an intricately woven gold chain, a transparent blue moonstone hanging brilliantly from the center. Undoing the clasp at the back, he reaches down and places it around her neck. The small girl clutches it her small hands and looks up to her father, beaming brightly.
"I love you daddy."
**************************************************
"Alright Jay, which one was it now?"
Jay jumped, startled back into the real world. She looked over at her brother who was manning the wheel, realized she was still holding onto her necklace, and let go of it with a look of surprise.
"What?" She asked, trying to recover quickly.
"Which island was it?" Her brother repeated, not taking his sight from the skies ahead of them.
"Oh, yeah." She said quietly, walking closer to the windows for a better look, though the setting sun made it slightly more difficult. "It was that one over there. Southwest of Shine Isle."
"I hope you're right about this Jay." Leos said, "Otherwise, we'd be wasting a whole lot of fuel for nothing."
"Trust me." Jay said, giving him the flashiest grin she could muster. Leos ignored it and busied himself with pointing the ship in the right direction. Jay felt the ship lurch slightly as the deck she was standing on became significantly less level. Leos grinned as he looked back at his flailing sister.
"Oh yeah, hold on." He said, casually.
"Thanks for the warning." Jay said, her arms locked in a vice grip onto her station.
As the small island began to fill the window, Jay began to see it more clearly. It was fairly small, having a diameter of about twenty meters around, and was covers with trees and various other forms of foliage. A small trickle of water was flowing over the side of it, and making its decent into the dark depths of deep sky. Through the tree cover, she could see a small pond with pieces of wood floating in it, which cemented her theory in her mind, though she could see no sign as of yet that told of people being there.
"We're going to have to get as close to island as we can, anchor it, and go down in a life boat." Her brother said, surveying the task ahead of them. Slowly, he brought the ship close to the island, turning slightly so that the left side of the boat was facing the land, and dipping down a bit more, trying to stay as level to the shore as he could. With the flip of a switch, he opened the left side cargo compartment that housed the two small life rafts.
"We'll, get down there Sis, time's a wastin." Leos said slapping her on the back, and giving her a shove toward the stairs.
"Hey, wait a sec." She said, struggling against her brother's grip. "You're not coming with me?"
"Nope, it's only a three person raft." He said, letting her go. "And I really don't want to take both of them of one will do the job perfectly." Jay glared at her brother, and bit down on her lip.
"I hate you." She grumbled, unlatching the door in front of her.
"Naw, you love me."
Jay sighed and shut the door behind her, missing her brother's last comment. A harsh wind was whipping through storage area, licking at Jay's exposed arms and stomach, making her wish she'd worn her overcoat. Shivering, she hopped into the closest raft, working the small console skillfully until it hummed to life and hovered inches off if the wooden decking. Carefully, she gripped the two yokes and eased the boat out of the large wooden doors, careful not to let it scratch the sides. The last thing she needed was more material for Leos to tease her about.
The dimming twilight, and the wind made it a little harder for her to make a soft landing, but she managed with all the skill of a veteran pilot. She landed on the sandy area close to the water, and jumped over the edge of the small raft. Her eyes scanned the edge of the small beach, squinting in the dim light. She was just about to call out, when she spotted someone, lying just in front of the tree line, shirtless, and sleeping on a bed of grass. Quietly, so a not to disturb him yet, she made her way over to him, kneeling at his side. For a moment she watched him, listened the slow, steady rhythm of his breath, watching his chest rise and fall. Jay sighed. Too bad you had to be an Air Pirate.
With no further hesitation, Jay leaned over him and shook him gently. Surprised, Ry's eyes fluttered open. Suddenly, he became aware of the girl leaning overtop of him, her bright blue eyes staring straight into his.
"Am I dreaming?" He said, pressing his eyes shut and shaking his head, as if to clear it.
"Want me to pinch you or something?" She said, giving him a lopsided grin. "C'mon, let's get you out of here and into some clothes." Ryne smiled weakly and grabbed the rolled up shirts behind his head and put them on, before getting up and following Jay's slow gait to the raft. Jay glanced over at him as he caught up.
"So. where's your Mother?" She asked, keeping her voice even. The fact that she wasn't with him said a lot. Ryne just stared down at the ground, not answering her for fear of losing control of his emotions. They walked the rest of the way to the raft in silence.
"I'm sorry." Jay said finally, once they reached the small boat. "I know what it's like to lose a parent." Ryne looked up at her, green eyes blazing in defiance.
"She's not dead." He stated forcefully, then slipping back into silence. Jay didn't say anything. She'd gone through the same thing when her parents had died, and the best thing for her do was probably to drop it and leave it alone.
"Well. I'm Jaycera Delasari." She said, quickly changing the subject and extending her hand, which he took.
"Ryne Vyse." He said simply.
"I know." She said, pulling the search information out of her pocket and showing it to him. "We've been looking for you." Ryne took the paper, and looked it over.
"That's my dad." he said softly. "I'm not worth nearly that much."
"Yeah, well you are to me at the moment, so could you get in the boat?" Jay said, hopping into the boat, her fingers flying over the controls. Ry briskly jumped into the tiny boat, sitting down on the floor and wrapping his arms around his legs. Jay lifted off the small island, the sun now completely gone, her ship barely visible, and the wind tearing at her tiny raft. Ryne winced as he was knocked against the back of the boat, by a sudden burst of air. Jay wrestled with the controls, the wind whipping her long ponytail around her neck, until she finally managed to work it into the bay doors, where Leos was waiting, his arms crossed.
"And where have you been, children?" He said, trying his best to keep a straight face. Jay set the ship down, and hopped out.
"Give it a rest, moron." Leos ignored his sister and strode past her to the silver haired newcomer, who was making his way out of the life raft and rubbing his shoulders. He took hand a shook it vigorously.
"Leos Delasari, of Delasari Shipping. Pilot of the cargo ship the Seventh Gigas, and currently, your rescuer. If there's anything you need, let me know." Ryne smiled weakly.
"Got any food?"
************************************
Ryne ate ravenously. After three days of eating nothing, his stomach felt like it was going to digest itself. Leos had shown him to a small bunk room, which he told him was his for the night, and then brought him a large tray of food comprised of mostly large fruits and dried meats. He didn't know what the meat was, but at the moment it was divine. The fruits had also been welcome, and his face was dripping with orange colored goo. Finally satisfied, he settled down into the comfortable bed, resting his head on his hands. His mind started to wander as he slowly dropped off into unconsciousness. He pictured his mother, of her green eyes shining and her smile.
************************************
Jay lay in her bed, enjoying the gentle rocking of the boat, her eyes closed. Many thoughts raced through her head, but there was one thing that kept popping up unto the surface of her mind. A silver haired boy, sleeping gently on the beach, the wind teasing his wild hair. She kept trying to push it out of her mind, but so far it hadn't been working. Don't do this to yourself Jay. You can't fall for an air pirate. Finally, in desperation, she got out of bed and pulled a chair to the window, looking out to the vast skies, and gazing up at the Silver moon. She watched the unusually slow decent of a silver moonstone, as it made it's way toward Arcadia, landing surprising close to where they currently were. Jay sighed, and returned to her bed, still fighting off thoughts of the man in the room across from hers.