(Liam)

     Liam watched with some admiration as Joiya bargained with the manager of
the Motel 6.  He found himself bemused at being surrounded by these fiercely
independant and utterly unpredictable women.  Joiya's choice of travelling
clothes alone was enough to raise eyebrows, but after an icy glare from her,
Liam had decided to keep his comments to himself.
     Liam waited quietly in the room he shared with Patty.  She was making the
rounds; checking that all the members of the team had settled down alright,
and scouting out the nearby area with Moonlight Dancing.  To any casual
passerby, they looked like a weary woman taking her large wolfhound out for a
nightly walk.  A soft mental query to the wolf confirmed that they were almost
finished and on their way back.  
     After some debate, Patty and Liagala had decided to construct personal
Wards around the rooms they'd rented.  It was risky; they had no knowledge of
the Sons of Ishar beyond the fact that they were Darkfriends.  They could be
channelers with Wards of their own set up to detect any unknown channelers in
their area.  But more probably, most of the group was non-channelers, and if
they did have channelers, it would be a waste of precious energy to keep a
constant vigil. 
     For their part, the Wards Liagala was presently constructing were
passive; they would only serve to indicate the presence of hostile magic
directed against them or the rooms they were in.  For now, with what little
information they had, channeling was off-limits unless it was a dire
emergency.  If it came to a dire emergency, they woudn't have that much left
to lose.
	A soft knock brought Liam swiftly to his feet.  ~~Yeah, like a darkfriend
would knock before coming in, duh...~~  Liagala popped her head in, and the
rest of her soon followed.  "Patty's not back yet?"
     "No, but they're on their way."  Liagala nodded and made herself
comfortable in the other unoccupied chair to wait.  Liam didn't quite know
what to do with himself in the silence.  On the one hand, he had been Raised
to full Ayende Vera, and should feel as comfortable with Liagala as he did
with Patty.  On the other hand, he was painfully aware of his age and lack of
experience.  What did you say to an Ayende while killing time before saving
the world?  And he didn't know what to make of the whole Liagala/Eddie
connection.  Liam opted for silence over small talk, and was totally grateful
when Patty arrived only a minute or two later.
     Without preamble, she started reporting as soon as she closed the door.
"The area appears secure.  This motel is close enough to the highway to make
access to the city easy; but the neighborhood will keep most casual travelers
away.  Most of the buildings nearby are warehouses, and many of them are self-
storage.  Not a lot of traffic.  Moonlight Dancing didn't sense or smell any
Shadowspawn nearby, so in that respect we're fairly safe.  So far."
     As she spoke, Patty stripped off her light jacket, and settled herself on
her bed.  Short hair nonwithstanding, she still had the habit of tucking her
hair behind her ears.  Liam made a mental note to point that out to her.  She
couldn't do it, it was inconsistent.    Patty shoved a number of the thin
pillows up behind her as she spoke.  "How'd the Wards turn out?"
     "Well enough.  They should be undetectable to casual scrutiny.  Even a
more powerful probe should miss them.  Only someone who knows what to look for
and why should be able to find them."  Patty nodded in satisfaction.  Liagala
voiced what no one else had been willing to bring up.  "So what happens next?"
     Liam turned automatically to see what Patty's response was, and was
stunned and a little scared to realize she had turned to him.  ~~Time to start
earning your keep, boy.~~  The voice in his head was not the wolf's, but the
gravely voice of Agelmar.
     Surprising himself  Liam was the first to speak.  "I think it's clear
that we need to get into the city and start looking for information.  More
than likely, these Sons of Ishar will be an underground organization, or
hiding behind an established one.  They won't be out in the open, or easy to
find."
	Surprising himself again, Liam spoke with easy authority outlining what he
believed was their best angle of attack.  Even more surprising was how
intently Patty and Liagala were listening.  "I think Patty would be best
suited for ferreting out information on paper.  That means librarys,
newspapers, whatever.  You were a Brown, and be able to spot better than
anyone how to hide information like that out in plain sight.  And I think Amy
and Krysten should help you.  One, because the more eyes you have working the
better; and two, I don't think either of them is up to any actual fighting.
At least not yet.
     I think Betsy, Joiya, Liagala and myself should start canvasing the city
itself.  Get a feel for the city and the people.  Try and find things out that
way."  What Liam didn't want to say was that he felt the best way to send them
out was to pair up - Joiya with Liagala, and himself with Betsy.  But it made
the most sense.  
	He couldn't pair with Joiya, because having two warriors together made no
sense, so they needed to be split.  It would be easier on him to pair with
Liagala, but Betsy needed more protection, and he'd be able to provide it
better for her.  
	So he stopped talking there, and left it to Patty and Liagala to wangle out
the details.  It took most of that night, but before the dawn they had a
semblance of a plan.


Krysten

       Krysten was asleep... yet she wasn't.  She was floating through the
darkness.  She didn't feel anything, as if she had no body, yet she felt
everything.  All around her was Darkness.  Something was not right.  She saw
images out of the corner of her eye.  Understanding them was important, but
they were always just beyond her reach.  She sensed shadows, utter Darkness,
and then there was a brief repreive, where there was Light again....   She
fought to get away, yet she couldn't.  She slept, and she watched, but never
quite grasped what she could see.
       This had happened to her before, while she slept.  Everything seemed so
real, almost too real for a dream.  Sometimes, she felt she was actually in
the dream, or not in a dream at all.  Often, the images showed the past, her
past before Arafel.  ~where did I come from?~  Krysten saw another life, with
strange people, yet she sensed she belonged with them, as if she had known
them, before.  ~my parents~ but her parents lived in Arafel.  ~my birth
parents~ the thought came.  It was all wrong, but intuition told her she was
right.  But these were just unconscious dreams, memories, and memories from so
long ago.  ~one day I will know~ Understanding seemed farther away than ever. 
       Tonight, her consciousness drifted.  Back to the darkness, and she saw
figures this time, but couldnt make them out.  Suddenly, more light, more
darkness, something important that she had to see, about the Purple Tower, and
there it was, then.....
  
  "Krysten?" Betsy asked in a small voice in the darkness -- of course, all
was darkness for her now -- "Are you asleep?"
  
       Everything was gone.  ~What was it?  I have to remember~ Jolted awake,
Kyrsten saw darkness again, but this was almost comforting.  Only the darkness
of the hotel room.  ~I have to ask someone about these dreams~  Shivering, she
thought she should turn on a light.  
       "huh?" she mumbled.  Then, "I'm up."  Getting no response, she tried
pushing the dream from her mind, sat up, and asked, "Is everything okay?"


Patty

     Patty watched in amusement while the group ate breakfast.  Actually, it
was Liam who amused her; just when she'd almost gotten it into her head that
she needed to get over thinking of him as a boy, he'd do something to remind
her just how old he was.  And eating was that reminder.  
	The group had commandeered two large tables at the restaurant adjoining the
motel.  The girls ordered their breakfasts - bagels, cereal, pancakes,
whatever.  But Liam ordered enough for three people to eat, and was making his
way steadily through it all, all the while managing to maintain his position
in the conversations going on around him.  Patty was fascinated, and Moonlight
Dancing looked on with nothing but pride.
	~~The pup eats well, he is very strong.  He will make a good Pack leader.~~
	~~Eats well?  He's eating for three!  I wonder how much longer he'll
keep growing?~~
	~~Until he is finished.~~ was the enigmatic reply from the wolf.  Patty gave
a complex mental snort.  Sometimes the wolf was too pragmatic for her own
good.
	Over her coffee, Patty causally watched the rest of the group.  Most of the
girls had finished eating.  Only Amy still had some food on her plate; but she
was just pushing it around, not eating, so Patty decided to begin.  She put
down her coffee in a deliberate motion.  Conversation ceased, and all eyes
turned to her.
     Her stomach gave an uncharacteristic lurch.  ~~What am I sending them
into?  They are so young.~~
	~~No one is ever too young to fight the Shadow.~~eagerness~~ determination~~
The pups must cut their teeth some time.  The time is now.~~
	Patty gave a grim smile.  Moonlight Dancing was right, as ever.  These people
had chosen to join this fight. Time to stop thinking of them as children, and
see what they could accomplish.  Not that anyone was in the restaurant to
overhear, but this was not time to stop being cautious.  Patty pitched her
voice low for those at the table to hear; and if anyone did overhear, they'd
just hear some random plans of a group of tourists.
	"Well gang, today we sight see.  There's lots in Tear to investigate, so we
won't all be heading in the same direction.  Amy, Krysten and I are heading to
the museums and library.  Liagala and Joiya are going on a shopping tour of
the city, and Liam and Betsy... well, they're going to spend some "quality"
time."  This last was said with a wink to Liam who blushed furiously and tried
not to squirm in his seat.
	The night before, Patty, Liagala and Liam had decided that skulking around
would make them much more obvious than they needed to be.  Moving around in
the open like tourists would suit their needs better at this point.  So Patty
would take the "younger" girls to follow educational pursuits, Liagala and
Joiya would go "shopping" and Betsy and Liam would act like a new couple,
aware of very little around them but themselves.
	Liam was not very comfortable with this particular facade, but it made the
most sense.  He and Betsy needed a reason to be together and this was the
easiest one.  Liam's only solace was that Moonlight Dancing would be with him
and Betsy as her "seeing eye" dog.  The wolf would be of very little use to
Patty in the library, but if she was out in Tear with Liam, she could help him
and Betsy while also keeping Patty informed.
	This first foray into the city was threefold.  They needed to establish
themselves to anyone who might be aware of them, as tourists.  Joiya needed to
reestablish contacts with people she knew in the city; people she trusted and
could give her information.  And their most important task - to begin to
ferret out the Sons of Ishar.
	They drove into the city in a newly rented mini-van.  They dropped Liagala
and Joiya downtown.  They'd be making their own way back to the motel, either
by cab or car, if Joiya could wangle one.  They dropped Liam, Betsy and her
"dog" in the large park, on the east side of the inner city.  They'd pick them
up there later.  Then Patty with her charges headed into the cultural center
of the city for a day of museums and libraries.  The search had truly begun.


Betsy)

The wolf made Betsy uneasy. It was as simple as that. She had this lingering
feeling that Moonlight Dancing knew that part of Betsy was still tied to the
Shadow -- the wolves often had ways of knowing such things. The strange part
was that Betsy knew that Liam was tied to the wolves, but he didn't make her
uneasy. In fact, it seemed to work the other way around -- that *she*
unsettled *his* nerves. She wasn't about to let that bother her, though. She
felt ... protected, despite her protests to the contrary. She truly had no say
in the plans. And she was working against the Shadow now. There would be no
killing just for the sake of needless blood. That was not the way it worked
now. 
	The wolf, taking the guise of a seeing-eye dog, led the way. 
	"So..." Betsy began, deftly weaving a suggestive tone into her voice 
according to the role she was meant to play, "where would you like to begin?" 
	The suggestive tone was not all acting, of course. Somehow Liam felt ... 
right... to her. The way Michael had once felt to her before he'd gone his 
separate way. Sometimes she regretted un-bonding Liam ... but she dared not 
tell him that. She appreciated and enjoyed the guidance he gave her, and was 
flattered -- perhaps wrongfully so -- by his protective instincts. Wrongfully, 
of course, since he was trained to be a protector -- but was it really his 
choice to protect her alone, or would he offer the same protection to any of 
the other girls in the group? Amy, perhaps, or Krysten? Betsy dismissed the
thought from her mind. She was above such notions as that. She would have once
regarded the boy as expendable. 
	But that was once before. 
	She felt useless now. She would, of course, be even more useless in 
the library, but here -- she couldn't even sense any unusual types anymore. 
She had no powers, no eyesight, nothing but the strange emotions that drove 
her own actions. And those were becoming dangerous. 


Liam

	Momentarily, Liam was torn.  A causal stroll was his initial intention, and
since they were this charming young couple, they should be acting like it.
But he felt so awkward.  Did he offer his arm, or is that insulting since she
has a "seeing-eye dog"?  Or would it be worse if he *didn't* offer his arm?
~~Give me the Shadow to fight any day, it's this girl stuff I can't handle.~~
was his lamentful mental cry.
     	Moonlight Dancing didn't even deign to answer in words.  But the jumbled
mental picture of wolves and mating rituals did nothing to help Liam's nerves.
He finally decided to just suck it up, and if they all made it back alive, he
intended to sit down with Eddie and have a *serious* talk about women.
	Elisabeth was walking with Moonlight Dancing leading on her right side.  He
remembered reading somewhere that blind people got really insulted when people
took their hands and led them around like babies.  He figured if offering his
arm was insulting to Betsy she'd just let him know.  So Liam moved in a little
closer and offered his right arm to her by bumping her left one; when she took
his arm gracefully he was relieved.
	With his left hand he raked his hair back off his forehead, and decided to
just throw himself into his role.  "Well, m'lady, I suggest we begin at the
beginning."  He flashed what he supposed was a flirty smile then thought,
~~She can't see my smile anyway.~~
	~~Don't be daft laddie.  Just because she can't see it, doesn't mean she
doesn't know it's there.  Pour it on, laddie.  She's not the only one you're
out to impress.~~  Liam didn't wonder at this second appearance of Algemar in
his head in as many days.  He just took the older Warder's advice.
	He turned his momentarily distracted attention back to Elisabeth.  This
really shouldn't be so hard; she was a very attractive girl.  They were out
and about to see and to be seen.  And even if he did think it himself, they
did make a handsome couple.  "We'll start with a stroll around the park, then
find someplace nice to stop for lunch.  I'm just glad we have a nice day for a
walk."
	Initially, Liam found himself doing most of the talking.  Again, since Betsy
didn't correct him, he gave a running commentary on what they were walking by
or who they were passing.  Many of the old-timers scattered on benches around
the park looked on with approval and nostalgia as the couple walked by.  As
they slowly walked, Liam allowed his anxieties about Betsy fall to the back of
his mind, while keeping his senses alert to danger or any stirrings from the
wolf.
	In his mind Moonlight Dancing had been strangely quiet.  As if she wanted to
give him privacy of a sort.  Which was strange, as far as Liam was concerned;
it wasn't as if the wolf wasn't right here and hearing every word that passed
between them.  As they rounded the south end of the park and headed north to
continue their circuit, Betsy began to talk.  She seemed more interested in
asking him questions, about his life before joining the Tower, about his life
after.  If she wasn't as forthcoming about her own self, Liam shrugged it off.
He figured she'd share eventually.
	So he answered her questions.  He talked about growing up different.  In a
family of serious athletes - football and hockey players - he wanted to dance.
No matter how long and hard he argued, his father could never see past his
conception of dancing as a "girlie" activity.  It wasn't a sport, so in his
father's eyes, it didn't count.
	Amid constant derision from his father, and teasing from his brothers and
peers, Liam stuck it out and trained as a dancer.  He never made a big show of
it, and turned down many recitals because of it, but he never stopped dancing.
After a while, they just stopped paying attention to him, and that would've
been fine, but then he learned he could channel.
	By this time, Liam, Betsy and Moonlight Dancing had walked the eastern path
through the park and were almost to the northern end.  Liam found a bench in
the shade where they could sit to beat the blaring heat, if not the humidity.
Liam raked his hand through his hair again; the humidity was wreaking havoc
and making his normally semi-managable hair curl uncontrollably.  Betsy
reached out and unerringly pushed that one piece that always fell into his
face back off his forehead.  Liam couldn't hide a flinch, and she drew her
hand back quickly.
	~~Damn.  Why'd you flinch like that Liam?  That was stupid!  We're supposed
to be a couple...why *shouldn't* she touch me?  She's been holding your arm
all day...~~
	But a deeper part of Liam understood the difference - *he* had offered his
arm this morning for her to take; she didn't reach out for him.  The last time
*she* had reached out to him, she'd Bonded him against his will.  That fear
and pain was something he couldn't easily forget.  ~~Maybe it's not about
forgetting ... but forviging.~~
	Liam felt bad about ruining the easy mood they'd established for the morning,
and peversely figured that making it worse would be just as easy as making it
better. So he turned the tables on Betsy and decided to pin her down.  "We've
talked about me all morning, why don't we talk about you."  Then, figuring he
went too far, he eased up a little. "What about your childhood, since I bored
you all morning with talk of mine..."  He left it hanging, deciding it'd be
easier for her to talk about her childhood than her time in the White Tower or
Shadar Logoth.


Betsy)


	The shade beneath the tree was a welcome respite from the morning's heat, 
and Betsy was glad to finally be off of her feet. And she was glad to have 
learned about Liam - that he had been willing to share his past with her had made 
him more human, more honest and real to her - so much more beyond that disposable
male he'd been in their first encounter. He had a life - a family - and he had
his own needs and desires and fears. His own question, however, had caught her
off guard, though she should have at least expected it. 

	"My childhood?" she repeated. When Liam didn't answer, she assumed he 
nodded, and continued. "There isn't much to tell," she admitted. "There was no 
time I don't remember being in the White Tower. My mother was a Yellow Sister; 
my father was her Warder. I had an older brother who was training to be a Warder.
We were sort of a Tower family, you see ... it was always hoped that I could
channel, and when they found that I could, I was sent straight to the Mistress
of Novices without a second thought." Betsy bit her lip. Now was hardly the
time to get emotional. "I think," she continued, trying to keep her voice from
wavering even if only slightly, "that my mother and I had a fairly good
relationship up until that point. I was her little girl ... and then all of a
sudden, the next thing I knew I was some novice. Some slave of the White Tower
to do with as they wished." She gave a rueful chuckle. "And beyond that, it
was always expected that I would be Yellow, like mum ... nevermind that my
Healing ability was next to nil then, that all came later ... " She felt her
voice, her mind drift off, remember all too painfully when her channelling
abilities had been heightened, when she'd been given new Talents -- Talents
that had never been dreamed of by the likes of the White Tower. "Anyway, I
wanted to impress them. I wanted to be more than mum's little girl then, so I
asked Jim -- he's my brother -- to teach me how to fight. I figured he'd had
enough training to really know what he was doing. We trained in secret, and I
progressed with my channelling lessons -- same old, same old, I guess -- and I
was raised to Accepted. 
	"I'd go out with the other girls -- some friends, some not -- most that 
mum didn't approve of, since they weren't Tower girls. I never understood that,
why I couldn't associate with anyone who wasn't of the Tower. Mum was sort of
stuck up that way. Anyway, I soon left the Tower somewhere between Accepted and 
Aes Sedai. I was never Raised -- though had I been, I would have chosen Green 
-- *not* Yellow."
	Light! She certainly hadn't meant to give that much information. Of 
course, there were some parts she'd left out, but -- wasn't that still so much? 
She tried dismissing the thought from her mind, and tried brightening. The sun 
had reached its apex; the heat was as intense as it had been all day. "So, do 
you want to get something to eat? I'm starving."


Liam

	Liam was a little shocked at how much Betsy was willing to share, and how
much he didn't realize that he didn't know.  He knew she'd been in the White
Tower for a time, but didn't know that she'd been raised there.  It just never
occurred to him that people grew up in the Tower; it seemed unnatural.
	~~Just because that's not how you grew up doesn't make it wrong or bad.
Just different.~~
	And part of him was pleased that Betsy was able to trust him with this
information.  The fact that she was able to open up to him like that implied
she wasn't pissed about him flinching away from her.  And that helped him
relax again.  Betsy broke in on his thoughts,  "So, do you want to get
something to eat? I'm starving."
     Liam laughed as he answered, "You never have to ask me twice."  And with
an ease that implied long practice, he stood and she gracefully took his arm.
As if they fit.
	Liam looked around.  Here at the northern end of the park, they were closer
to the downtown business area.  "We could grab a hot dog or something from a
park vendor, or head to the downtown area...there's bound to be plenty of
places to choose from there."
	Betsy looked speculative.  "We'd have a better chance of doing something
useful if we headed downtown.  Not much to do here in the park."
     Liam understood.  Establishing themselves as young touring couple was one
thing, but they'd find out next to nothing here in the park.  So he headed
them toward the northern entrance of the park, off to find somewhere to eat
downtown.


Liam)

     Liam and Betsy ambled slowly toward the more crowded downtown area.
Neither of them had any particualr yen for any kind of food, so they just
wandered to see if something would strike their fancy.  Liam was pleased with
the picture they presented; and if he was starting to actually *enjoy* being
part of the picture, so much the better.
     It was more difficult navigating the sidewalks here.  There were many
more people than in the park, and less inclined to be taking their time
getting around.  But even in all the hustle, people seemed to have some
awareness of Betsy's need for space, and Moonlight Dancing even in guide-dog
guise, was formidable.  A natural pocket of space began to develop around the
young man and woman, so they took their time making their choice.
     Suddenly Moonlight Dancing came to an abrupt halt.  Betsy reacted a half-
step sooner than Liam.  Her grip tightened slightly on his arm.  "Is something
wrong?" she asked as the wolf sent ~~I smell something.~~
     ~~We're in the city.  You must be smelling tons of things.~~
     The wolf's tone was urgent, as close to paniced as Liam had ever felt in
her tone.  ~~No.  This is different.  We must hurry.~~  The wolf became so
agitated that she stopped sending in words.  Liam, unused to this kind of
intense communication with her was initally overwhelmed.
     He took a deep breath and turned to Betsy.  In a low tone he said,
"Moonlight Dancing smells something.  She wants us to find it."  He didn't
have to bother with the explanation, because the wolf took off, dragging a
startled Betsy with her.
     ~~Slow DOWN, wolf! This does not look normal.  We're supposed to be
*normal*~~  easy~~ calm~~
     But the boy had been infected by the wolf's urgency.  He could feel his
heartbeat race in response.  All his senses were heightened.  He was ready for
action.
     Moonlight Dancing led them swiftly through the crowd.  Liam and Betsy
attempted to make it look like they were leading the dog and not the other way
around, but they were having a hard time of it.  Moonlight Dancing took a
sharp turn down an alley.  Once they were out of the public eye, the wolf made
no pretense of walking, and it was all Betsy could do to keep up.  Liam
discreetly loosened various knives he had hidden on his person, but wished
intently for he sword.
       The alley opened up into a courtyard of sorts.  The backs of four huge
buildings converged on this spot.  It was a dumping ground - out of the public
eye.  This was not on any sight-seeing tour.  Moonlight Dancing stopped
abruptly again, and Betsy considered dropping the leash.  She thought better
of it when she figured if the wolf took off again, and Liam with her, she'd be
left Light knew where, with no way to get back to the group.  
     Moonlight Dancing advanced on a huge garbage dumpster as if cornering
dangerous prey.  ~~In there, pup.~~ anxiety ~~ urgency ~~
     Liam described the scene for Betsy.  "Just stay here, I'm going in for a
closer look at the dumpster."  Betsy nodded her assent.
     Liam assessed the dumpster.  Standard green dumpster, but larger than
ususal.  **Probably so big because it's such a large complex.  They generate a
lot of garbage.. wonder if it's big enough to hide a Trolloc in...**
     Shoving aside irrelevent thoughts, Liam braced himself, then threw back
the cover of the dumpster.  He lept back and assumed a defensive stance.
Nothing.  
     ~~Hurry, hurry~~ from the wolf.
      "What is it?  What's going on?"  from Betsy.
     "Dunno yet.  I'm going in."  Liam tried to ignore the foul odor rising
from the dumpster.  It looked like it was due for pickup anytime.  This was
attested to by the rumble of a garbage truck coming down the alley.  Liam
grabbed the lip of the dumpster and hoisted himself up to look in.  Just
garbage.  No Trollocs.  That was a relief anyway.
     A movement caught Liam's eye, something rolled over to his left.  ~~Ugh!
Rats!~~
     ~~No!~~ came the frantic send from the wolf.  ~~Not rats.  Hurry!  Get
it!~~ 
     "Heya kid!  Whaddaya doin' there?"
     Liam ignored the burly garbage man yelling at him.  He threw his right
leg over the dumpster to give himself better balance.  He stretched for the
mmoving object, while someone yanked on his left leg.  Just a little
farther...
     ~~Got it!~~ shock~~ dismay~~  was his send to the wolf.   "Oh Light." was
his whispered response.  It wasn't a rat he'd found, it was a baby.

     Liam stared down in shock at the tiny bundle he'd found.  He could feel
the tugging on his leg grow more urgent, and he silently prayed that Betsy
would follow his lead and play along.
     "Honey!" he called over his shoulder exuberently, "I found it!"  With not
even a moment's hesitation, Betsy called back.  "Oh!  Thank the Light!"  She
even clapped in her enthusiasm.
     The garbage man who'd been tugging on Liam's leg left off and turned his
attention to Betsy, giving Liam a chance to weave a quick inverted weave.
Though he still cradled his bundle as he would a baby, now it looked like a
well-worn and loved knapsack.
     As he gathered himself for the leap off the dumpster, Liam fed Betsy the
clue she needed.  "This backpack's so old, it's no wonder someone picked it up
and tossed it out."
     Betsy then turned on the charm, explaining to the garbage man who'd been
joined by his co-workers, how they'd accidentally left behind the bag amid all
their sight-seeing.  And how lucky they were that they got to the dumpster
before it was gone for good.  And weren't they lucky it was on top so Liam
could find it?
     Liam landed lightly on his feet all the while carrying on a mental mantra
aimed at the baby.  ~~Stay quiet now, little one.  Just a few minutes more.~~
It was eerie just how quiet the baby was, like it knew how important it was.
Liam wasn't sure, but he thought Moonlight Dancing might have had something to
do with that.  As soon as he'd lept into the dumpster, her mental tone lost
the anxious quality and took on the more maternal tones he knew so well.
     Liam let Betsy finish her story with the garbage men, and just hoped they
wouldn't notice that he was cradling the bag instead of slinging it over his
shoulder.  With a few more, "oh weren't we lucky"s Liam and Betsy returned up
the alley they'd run down only a few moments before.  Sight-seeing was no
longer an option, with Liam garbage stained and smelly.  So they headed back
to the park to wait for Patty and her crew to pick them up.  It never occured
to Liam to question keeping the baby, or wondering why they didn't turn him in
to the hospital.  Later, when he pondered why he *didn't* question those
impulses, it occured to him again that the wolf was somehow resonsible.  But
what he didn't know was why.

[This RP joins "Research in the Library" after Patty's last RP]