Before - Legends Invisible Enemy -- (An-Paj!) COMPLETE and with thanks!

By the way, Renata and I decided that we would post those parts which we had each written. So there's a long chunk from me here at the beginning, but a Trett/Arwen scene will be coming soon!

Just_Jill Thanks! I loved reading about little details, too, when it comes to things like using the Force to heal.

DarthIshtar I'm glad you think this An-Paj is not boring!

dianethx and padawan lunetta Renata was just telling me that we wouldn't be able to put anything over on intelligent readers like all of you!

*****

Coming back alone, An-Paj looked at the trees lining the road from the city to the chapter house. He couldn't remember the last time he had piloted a landspeeder. It might have been during one of his visits to his home planet of Ossa ... sometime before An-Taec had gotten her license. He certainly had never driven on Coruscant. Even if there'd been the opportunity to pilot a landspeeder down one of the broader walkways instead of simply flying a transport, there had never been time. His duties in the infirmary had always taken first priority, and of course his duties to his wives. In fact, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd been out in the fresh air before coming to this colony world named Sarawaksala. When was the last time they'd gone to Ossa, anyway? For the birth of An-Auk?

Had it really been that long?

It was a miracle that he still remembered how to work the controls, An-Paj thought wryly as he followed the road around to the back of the Chapter House and parked the speeder next to the others. His way inside led him through the emergency entrance and down the main corridor of the infirmary. As he walked, he saw someone standing mostly hidden behind the half-opened door of one of the examination rooms, watching him intently.

"All right, Kiusan?" he called out, coming over to greet her.

The young padawan shrank back guiltily, and he got the impression she'd been standing there for quite a while, looking for someone in particular. Then, remembering her manners, she came forward again and pressed the control of the door to make it open completely. "Yes, everything's fine, Master An-Paj."

"Knight Tlatilco will be staying until after the birth," An-Paj informed her.

Kiusan nodded resignedly. "How long will it take?"

"It's always hard to tell. It might be a day. In rare cases, even two."

"A day?" Kiusan looked stricken.

"Yes, it's possible, but it's also possible that it will be less than that. I'm sorry, I know you were waiting for him."

"For him, and for the bone-knitter to work," she said, indicating her arm.

"That might take a day, too," An-Paj said. He caught her surprise, and added, "Didn't that other healer tell you?"

"He was called away to an emergency, and just said I should wait here until my master came back."

"Ah." An-Paj thought quickly. "Do you know your way around? I mean, have you ever been here before?"

"Oh, yes, Master An-Paj, we come here all the time. Sometimes it seems we're here more than on Coruscant." Lowering her voice a little, Kiusan added, "I think my master likes it here."

An-Paj smiled down at her."I can certainly see why. Well, if you'd be so kind, you could lead me to Master Corona's office.?

?Mistress Corona,? Kiu corrected him. At An-Paj?s surprised look, she said, ?She prefers to be called Mistress Corona.?

?Oh. Thank you, that?s good to know. Anyway, you can ask about quarters for you and your master, for whenever he gets back, and I can see if she has anything else for me to do before I go help my wives unpack."

"Your wives? Have you moved here, Master An-Paj?" Kiusan's slanted eyes were wide with surprise, which made An-Paj smile even wider.

"Yes, Kiusan, we have moved here. In fact, we arrived just a few minutes before you did. You didn't think I was kept prisoner in the infirmary on Coruscant, did you?"

Kiusan tried not to smile.

"You just thought I belonged there like moss on a stone?"

Laughing a little, Kiusan indicated the

 

Sorry I missed a day- heaven forbid!

I could use An-Paj about now. Can he heal me from the flu?

 

Poor Kitara! I'm sure he could... I'd send him over with hot chicken soup, but I think flu is when you DON'T want to eat anything! Rest, don't push yourself, stay home (if you were hit by a bus, your co-workers would get along without you, and they'll be much happier to have you back when you're not contagious.) Take care of yourself!

 

Loved the line about An-Paj being a prisoner on Coruscant...but won't the infirmary be lonely without him there?

Hmmm...I wonder what the emergency was? Hopefully not a case of the "flu" like the other infirmary. And why does An-Paj's wife working in the hospital not strike me as good? (Or maybe I'm just naturally suspicious. )

Anyway, keep up the great work ladies!

 

They have a good point--what will Coruscant do without our beloved An-Paj? Especially Obi!

 

Sorry to hear you're not feeling well, PadawanKitara. Hope you recover soon!

padawan lunetta I think the infirmary on Coruscant will be just fine without An-Paj. And his wife won't actually be working in the infirmary, she'll be helping Mistress Corona run the entire Chapter House. Sorry that wasn't clear!

Natural suspicion is good in a story like this.

DarthIshtar I'm sure there are plenty of other healers to take care of poor Obi-Wan.

Thanks for reading, everybody!

*****

The way to the east wing of the third floor, however, lead back to the infirmary. This time, An-Paj was properly introduced to the healer on duty, and shown the rest of the equipment. Mistress Corona also showed him the cafeteria, which took up a large part of the other half of the ground floor.

"You've got two other wives who will be working here, I understand?" Mistress Corona commented as they stood in the large room and looked out at the garden that spread away from the large windows.

"Yes, An-Hwaet and An-Fyrre both have several years experience working in the cafeteria on Coruscant," An-Paj affirmed.

"Excellent. I'm sure they'll fit right in. Not that I'm complaining about our current staff, but they might even be an improvement."

An-Paj nodded. "I've never had any complaints about their cooking. They learned from the best. And I'm sure they'll be ready to start work to-morrow as well."

"Good, good." Mistress Corona smiled apologetically. "We always have willing workers, but it seems we never have enough of them."

They went up the stairs. Aside from a few meditation rooms, most of the second and third floors were simply living quarters. In sharp contrast to the rest of the Chapter House, the east wing was a-buzz with activity; brown-clad knights and padawans moved busily around the hover-pallets parked in the corridor, transferring their contents into the different rooms. At first, An-Paj could not see anybody dressed in anything other than Jedi brown or beige. As he approached, he sent out a mental signal, and all six wives appeared in the doorways of their respective quarters almost simultaneously.

"Everybody satisfied?" Mistress Corona asked brightly.

"It's a bit smaller than what we're used to," An-Silf replied, coming forward. "But the view is magnificent! Even better than on Ossa."

"Dada!" came an excited squeak from behind her, and An-Paj saw his youngest daughter, An-Auk, run out from the room to grab his knee. He bent down and picked her up, giving her a kiss, which she returned enthusiastically ten times. Alta Corona watched with a polite expression on her face.

"Let me see," An-Paj said.

The apartment had been converted from three single rooms. An-Silf was in the process of converting the middle space to a sitting room. He could see the baby bed for An-Auk through the open doorway on his right, which meant that the big double bed would be in the room on the left. And his fifth wife had been right, the view from the broad window was spectacular. The forest was many different shades of green. Far off to one side, he could see the glitter of a small lake, and on the other side were foothills leading to mountains. The Living Force was strong on this planet, and there was a different, richer quality to it. He drank it in deeply, satisfying a need in himself that he hadn't known he'd had.

"Paj, I'm putting your office in Hwaet's apartment." That was his first wife, coming up quietly behind him. An-Paj was reminded with a pang why there was space in An-Hwaet?s apartment ?- because the son that they had had together had remained behind at Coruscant. He was in Jedi training and hoped to be chosen by a master soon.

"Thank you, Afor." An-Paj turned to smile at her. "Mistress Corona wanted to know if you could start work to-morrow already."

"I had wanted to see about a school for the children," she said. "But Mistress Corona wouldn't ask if she didn't need our help desperately, so I shall let Darste go instead."

 

I am feeling better. Thank you everyone. I just realized how difficult it will be for An-Paj to deal with all six wives located in separate quaters. Wow is he in for some verrry long nights

 

Hehehe, loved how he signaled his wives, and his kid is so cute, reminds me of my niece.

I'm probably a little slow and this is probably a little late, but I just realized where I recognized Kiusan and Hachas from!

Walk Before you Run! I loved that story, it was so cute!

But I think I lurked...*runs*

 

PadawanKitara Glad you're feeling better! As for An-Paj and the wives in separate apartments, I always imagine him spending one night with each wife and then moving on to the next one.

padawan lunetta Yes, Kiu and Hachas were the stars of Walk Before You Run. Now remind me to lurk on your stories in return!

Next up, a post by Renata!

 

Oh my gosh, I'm on? Stage fright!

I hope you all enjoy this. For those who are acquainted with Master Trett & Arwen, this takes place fairly early in the relationship. Everyone else, I assure you they do both mellow out with time.

And when Jane & I started plotting a medical thriller for An-Paj, I originally didn't plan on involving my two, but somehow they slipped in.

All of this is very incoherent. I'll just shut up and post, shall I? This is a bit long...

* * *


Rendell Trett suppressed a groan as he lowered himself to the cot, supported by Myron's strong arm. In retrospect, it had been a mistake not to accept the hoverchair; the short trip from the landing bay to his quarters had taken more out of him than he cared to admit. But at least he was still alive. Most of the other Jedi who had been sent to Marabile had not been so fortunate.

He looked up at his former Master. "Thanks," he said.

The man raised a bushy eyebrow. "And the lesson to be learned from this, Padawan?" he teased.

Trett made a face. "Never be too proud to accept help," he admitted. "Or a hoverchair."

Arwen had gone to the window, throwing back the heavy metal shutters to let the cool air in. It had the sweet, mossy scent of the deep woods, and the soft rustle of wind through the trees, coupled with birdcalls, was soothing. She seemed agitated, though.

"Are you in much pain, Master?" she said. "Should I call--?"

"No, no," said Trett. "I'm just tired." Seeing the crease between her brows deepen, he added, "I'll rest for a bit. Why don't you go to your quarters and unpack?"

The young apprentice looked at the two Masters and at Trett's flight case on the floor.

"Should I do yours, first?"

"No. I want to have a talk with Master Myron before he goes."

She took the hint, but lingered in the doorway, looking at Myron. "Are you leaving right away?"

"I'll stay for dinner," he assured her, "but I have two hundred students facing mid-term exams who will scream if I don't review the material with them. They don't trust the teaching assistants, I'm afraid."

She relaxed, and looked at Trett. "I'll come back later, and unpack your bag."

Trett hesitated. He didn't like her to wait on him; that wasn't her role. But the wound he'd received was healing slowly, and sapped all his strength. "Thanks," he said, "I really appreciate that."

When she had gone, he turned to Myron, who drew up a beautifully carved wooden chair, and settled himself facing his former apprentice.

"Well, boy, what's on your mind?" he asked.

Trett swallowed. "I had to give a progress report to the Reassignment Council," he said, watching his Master's reaction. The older man merely nodded. Trett searched his face, then looked away. "If they - if they decide - I mean..." He took a deep breath. "If they decide that I'm...that I'm not suitable... would you take her instead?"

Myron frowned. "Why would they think you're not suitable?"

Trett stared at the ground. "Oh, no reason," he said bitterly, "except that I haven't even had her a year, and she's been kidnapped, sold into slavery, attacked by some sort of mysterious ghost or something, taken hostage by terrorists and ended up in a war zone."

"Through no fault of yours," Myron pointed out. "And in every case, you came through for her."

"Well, you came through for her once."

"Because you asked me to."

Trett chewed his lip. "But if they DO decide to take her away -"

"They won't," said Myron. "Think about it. They heard your report. And then they sent you here. WITH her."

Trett nodded, thinking.

"Why would they send you here if they were only going to reassign her?" Myron prodded.

Trett hadn't considered that, and hesitated. It was hope, a small, insignificant hope. He didn't dare let himself embrace it. "Then why would they ask for a report from me?" he asked.

"Because it HAS been an eventful year. For both of you. And consider her situation prior to meeting you. She's been through a lot. I'm sure they were concerned, and were trying to decide what you

 

Jane: But of course, though I'd never know if you returned the favor.

Renata: Poor Trett...I'd go nuts if I was in his position too. And they should let him keep Arwen...I'm sure Obi's track record is even worse than that in a month, and they let Qui keep him. Cute relationship though...I love it when they have male Jedi Master and female padawans. (And Myron, kinda playing Grandmaster I guess )

 

Won't Trett be thrilled to see An-Paj followed him there.

 

Ooooh.. just found this, I love it! I'm another Jemmiah follower, and like the infamous Corellian herself, I've always been fascinated by our main Ossar.

(And okay, I'll admit that I actually thought he was canon as well. )

I'm loving this, Jane and Renata!!

 

I was waiting for that Kit and Bant story...
BUT a An-Paj and Hachas & Kiu is Just as good!

Great start Jane & Renata

 

awww, that was sweet. I liked the scene with An-Paj and the six sweeties. But also Myron's advice was heart-warming.

 

You all are never going to believe... the SciFi channel is running "Battlestar Galactica" today! Talk about a blast from the past! LOL!

First off, CONGRATULATIONS ISHTAR!!!! Have you set a date, or are you still basking? Enjoy the basking part and remember: if the napkin rings don't coordinate with the bridesmaids' shoes, you're the only one who will notice, so don't sweat the small stuff.

Hello, everyone else! Welcome jodiwent & Miana! Hope you enjoy this. And Kitara and Lunetta, and dianethx, who is having a serious attack of RL, and I hope she can check in from time to time when she needs a break.

Jane's actually up next. But I thought I'd say hi.

 

I'm up next? I thought you were! Oh, panic! Where's a "hair-tearing" emoticon when you need one?

 

Goody gumdrops - I finally made it here and this looks great. I'll post some comments later.

 

Blame my sieve-like memory -- Renata told me that she'd cut the next scene, but I completely forgot. Apologies to everyone for making you wait, but here's the next scene now.

Tahi Great to see you here! Hope you enjoy.

+++++

The first case of the day was yet another familiar face.

"Knight Pau."

"Master Healer," the Batangan Jedi said slowly. His voice sounded unnaturally gruff. "I didn't expect ... to see you here."

"The announcement from the Council came as a surprise to me, too," An-Paj admitted. "It's a beautiful planet."

"Yes," came the delayed answer. An-Paj frowned slightly as the knight seemed to labour over every word. "The Living Force ... is very strong here."

"You're not sounding well."

"I was a prisoner of war ... on a planet called ... Marabile." Knight Pau stretched out on the examination table in an unusually weary-looking way.

"Were you injured?"

"Not much."

Closing his eyes for better concentration, An-Paj reached out with the Force. The knight was correct; his injuries were few and not serious, and none of them could be the culprit for why the Batangan's body didn't seem to be functioning at normal speed. Intensifying his efforts, An-Paj began a deeper check, and finally found the reason.

"You seem to be suffering from an underactive kleobis gland," he announced.

Knight Pau nodded. "There was no kuvium on Marabile."

"Kuvium. Of course." The element was only needed in trace amounts, but it was necessary to keep the Batangan body functioning. A complete lack of it would result in eventual death. "I'll get you a dose now."

But there was no kuvium in the storeroom. Annoyed, An-Paj mentally sought the location of his fellow Healer, then marched down the corridor to find him in another examination room.

"Do we have any kuvium?" An-Paj asked.

"Kuvium??

"I need some, and I can't find any in the storerooms."

?Why in the galaxy would you need kuvium?? Narrowing his eyes slightly, Johakin looked at An-Paj?s teeth. ?You don?t eat that disgusting native food, do you? Meat so raw it?s practically sliced off a living nerf, and then rolled in kuvium? Ugh!?

?As a matter of fact, I eat young padawans for breakfast, but on occasion, I like to treat myself to a full Healer, starting with his tongue,? An-Paj replied acidly.

?Aaayyyiii,? sighed Johakin. His embarrassment was quite genuine, but the apologetic tone sounded more like a habit than a true apology. ?Sorry. For a patient, then??

?A Batangan Jedi, yes.?

?Oh.? Johakin?s pronunciation made the word almost sound like the diphthong ee-oh. ?Ah. Well, if the kuvium is not in the storeroom, then we don?t have any, I?m afraid. We don?t really get a lot of Batangan patients here.?

"You don?t have a padawan, do you?" An-Paj asked.

Surprised at the sudden change of topic, the young man shook his head. "No. I haven't had the chance yet to travel to Coruscant and pick one out. There always seems to be one more emergency to take care of."

An-Paj nodded sympathetically. After his own had graduated to knighthood, he'd found himself facing the same problem. "Then I'll have to go myself."

"Go where?"

"Into Kalikinabo, to get some kuvium."

"Oh, you don't have to go yourself. There's always someone else?s padawan around here with nothing better to do."

An-Paj thought immediately of Kiusan, and contacted her comlink. "Are you free to run an errand, Kiusan, or has Master Tlatilco got back yet?"

"No, he's not back yet." Kiusan's worry was audible even across the connection. "What kind of errand?"

"I need you to go into Kalikinabo for me."

"Oh, all right. I can do that." Kiusan's voice brightened immediately, and An-Paj could clearly hear her mentally plotting to take advantage of being that close to the civilian hospital.

"It's fairly urgent, Kiusan," he said, and her mental plans collapsed almost audibly.

"I'll be right there, Master Healer." She clicked off, and appeared in the corridor of the infirmary only a few seconds later; a new, less elaborate

 

I love your descriptions of the pregnant princess - fond memories of feeling like a beached whale.

Why use the Force when you can ask so tactfully? An-Paj sighed to himself. I like this guy's humour. I also like the idea of the healer helping the body to heal itself. That's how I think healers would work, too. They do say that the only thing stopping us being able to self-heal is the limiations we impose on ourselves.

I also liked the description of birth as harvesting as opposed to a pathological thing. I agree with that view.

Trett stared at the ground. "Oh, no reason," he said bitterly, "except that I haven't even had her a year, and she's been kidnapped, sold into slavery, attacked by some sort of mysterious ghost or something, taken hostage by terrorists and ended up in a war zone." Now that's what I call a Master of Disaster.

?As a matter of fact, I eat young padawans for breakfast, but on occasion, I like to treat myself to a full Healer, starting with his tongue,? An-Paj replied acidly. Loved that bit, too.

I'm also enjoying all the medical explanations. This is really original. Lovely stuff.

 

Tahi Thanks for the detailed feedback and especially the lovely stuff.

All right, that was yesterday's post, and here's to-day's. Sorry again to keep you all waiting.

*****

When An-Paj entered the examination room, holding the data pad with the patient's details, he saw a blond man and a black-haired teen glancing up guiltily from a game of tiles that they had set up on the desk.

Personally, An-Paj thought this was an improvement on the usual meditation that he usually met with when coming to treat anybody above the rank of padawan. He didn't recognise either of them; the Temple was too big for him to know every knight personally. Even if they did show up at the infirmary at regular intervals, it was quite possible for them to always manage to be treated by other healers.

"Rendell Trett," An-Paj smiled. "I'm Master Healer An-Paj. This is your padawan--?"

"Arwen-dai Istarri," Trett announced with his own smile. A mixture of pride, wonder and a distinct touch of worry surrounded him.

"Arwen," An-Paj acknowledged. Funny, he'd just been thinking about her just the other day, remembering how he'd observed her birth, and now here she was, a stunning young lady. Had it really been fourteen years ago? He himself didn't feel that much older. Just more experienced-well, except when it came to birthing.

"Wait outside, Arwen?" Trett asked before An-Paj could. Arwen nodded, picked up the game, and went out, but her thoughts remained in close proximity, and An-Paj realised she hadn't gone very far from the door.

"You were wounded on Marabile as well?" An-Paj asked, turning his attention back to the knight, who was already tugging off his tunics, using only his left arm. As long as Arwen didn't actually open the door or use some device to listen in on the consultation, he could ignore her presence in the corridor.

"It's healing, as far as I can tell," the knight said, presenting his back to An-Paj for inspection. "But-"

"But?" Gently, he peeled away the bandage.

"It seems to be taking an extremely long time," Trett admitted.

Settling his fingertips gently around the blaster wound, An-paj closed his eyes and probed with the Force. Two of the man's ribs had been charred almost to the breaking point, and a lot of muscle tissue had been burned away, but it was healing, albeit slowly.

"Are you able to achieve a proper healing trance?" An-Paj asked.

"Uh-" said Trett's mouth at the same time that his thoughts screamed Is he serious? A jumbled series of images raced through the young man's mind at lightning speed, Arwen, pale, wet, frightened...kidnapped, sold into slavery, haunted, taken hostage, huddled in a POW camp... This progress report, and the Reassignment Council might take her away from me.. "I've been a bit distracted, maybe."

"Too worried about your padawan to concentrate?" An-Paj tried to make it sound like he was guessing. Other species often felt uncomfortable if he repeated their private thoughts back to them verbatim. He'd learned long ago not to flaunt his telepathic abilities, and to aim his antennae very discreetly.

Trett nodded, finally finding words. "She's had a rough year. We both have. We came here, partly for rehabilitation because of this-" he indicated his back with an awkward gesture, then continued, "-and partly just to relax." No more missions, no more danger, no more rescues.

"Mmm," said An-Paj encouragingly.

"Arwen had some bad experiences with her previous master," Trett went on. "She's still very fearful about some things, and she worries too much. She had some sessions with the Soulhealers-before. It would be good for her to go back to them. I was wondering if you could talk to her and recommend it?"

"I'd be glad to," said An-Paj, recognising immediately that it would lessen the burden of the knight's own worries and thereby hasten the healing process. Trett relaxed visibly.

"And as for your back," An-Paj went on, "I want you to come by every afternoon for a Force heal

 

?As a matter of fact, I eat young padawans for breakfast, but on occasion, I like to treat myself to a full Healer, starting with his tongue,? An-Paj replied acidly. lol, loved that line. :-D

An-Paj is a great healer, loved how he was reading Trett's thoughts. Heh, that would creep me out too! (In reference to how he learned not to repeat them back verbatim ) And I don't know why, but every time his antennae are mentioned, I smirk or want to laugh. THey're just so great! :-D

 

That was great. I keep forgetting that Arwen goes from one disaster (I mean mission) to another without the chance to go to the temple for healing or R&R.

 

Like Master,like padawan. I loved that. Ooh! the bacta bath sounds rather nice. I also liked that idea of stroking cats as being therapeutic. It is. They have them in Old Peoples' Homes here.

Mind you stroking our kitten is NOT therapeutic unless he's asleep or you're wearing body armour. So make sure they get cats and NOT kittens.

 

padawan lunetta And I don't know why, but every time his antennae are mentioned, I smirk or want to laugh. THey're just so great! Thanks!

PadawanKitara Yes, poor old Arwen. But she's not on a mission just now, so maybe she'll get that much needed R&R. You never know what will happen, though ...

Tahi I also liked that idea of stroking cats as being therapeutic. It is. They have them in Old Peoples' Homes here. I'd be making a mental note to retire to New Zealand when I get that old, but unfortuantely, I'm allergic to fur. No cats. No dogs, either, which makes my husband sad, but not me. Worst of all, if I ever end up in the GFFA, I'd probably be allergic to Chewbacca, too! *sniff*

Your kittie sounds like a real terror, though!

All our sympathy and condolences go out to Diane during this difficult time in her life.

*****

He ushered Trett out, deliberately blocking the door in case Arwen should think about trying to accompany her master, then turned to face her. She hadn't moved, but she did look a bit shocked, as though suddenly realising she were trapped.

"Sit down, Arwen." An-Paj indicated a chair, then moved another one around so that he was close, but not quite facing her straight on.

"I -- I'm not hurt, Master Healer," Arwen began. But the memory of past injuries flashed through her mind as she sat down, and there was enough anxiety in her thoughts that An-Paj stretched out his hand for a scanner anyway.

Reaching out to the Force to help him radiate his usual confident, comforting aura even more strongly, he moved the instrument over her joints one at a time, stopping first at her left shoulder. "Are you still having trouble with this?"

"Not so much," she admitted, and her focus went instead to her left knee.

An-Paj moved the scanner systematically down her body until he came to it. "What about here?"

"Um -- I feel it every so often."

"Sometimes old injuries don't want to be completely forgotten," he said. "It's nothing serious, but I'll make a note of it anyway."

He inserted a fresh chip into the data pad and quickly entered the relevant information, then turned his attention back to her. "You're looking a bit peaky. Let me check your blood pressure, too."

The procedure didn't take long. "It's a bit low, but still normal. Are you getting enough to eat?"

"Uh--"

An-Paj could sense Arwen trying to remember the last meal she'd eaten, and coming up blank.

"You need both carbohydrates and protein," he said, trying not to sound as though he were lecturing. "And there's nothing in the Jedi code that says you're only allowed to eat three times a day. You could have a little snack every two hours if you prefer. Sometimes it's easier to eat small amounts if your stomach feels all twisted with worry."

To his relief, Arwen nodded, and he thought he even sensed a touch of agreement with his hidden diagnosis. Emboldened, he went on. "Now. Are you sleeping all right?"

Arwen's silent answer was an eerie echo of her master's thoughts on not being able to achieve a healing trance; the same mixture of worry and guilt.

"Nightmares?" An-Paj prodded.

"Sometimes," Arwen answered guardedly. When I'm awake, if that counts.

"Flashbacks?"

Arwen glanced up sharply, too startled to answer.

"Knight Trett mentioned you'd had some bad experiences with your previous master and that you'd been seeing the Soulhealers about it," An-Paj explained smoothly, and Arwen nodded as he continued, "Even if you were doing quite well before, a traumatic event, such as seeing your current master so badly injured, would be enough to bring back bad memories. It's quite normal, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to talk to the Soulhealers again, and let them help you work through it. I know it would put your master's mind at ease, knowing that you were being looked after."

"I know," Arwen said, and An-Paj saw her grimace slightly.

"Like yourself, I just barely arrived yesterday, but I do know that there is at least