[VanimaEdhel]

Castar awoke the next morning with sun gently dancing over his eyelids. He sat up, rubbing his stinging eyes and looking around the room, temporarily forgetting his place of slumber. Everything suddenly flooded back into his memory. He looked instinctively around himself: no, Windheneb was no longer with him. He and his sister had long ago abandoned Castar, as they had to return home to see to their families. Windheneb's younger sister would probably have stayed over at Castar's farm. She should return sometime that day or the next. Knowing Castar's mother, she was not one to let a young lady out at night, what with criminals and the other folk out in wilder countries.

Castar arose and immediately sat back down again, groaning slightly. His brain felt as though it was gently pounding against his skull. The farmboy was not used to drinking as much as he had the previous night. His argument with Windheneb shook him up, though: that much Castar knew.

Taking a deep breath and readying himself for the throb in his head again, Castar arose, wincing slightly. He dressed and looked at himself in the mirror, tying back his hair and moodily trying to fix the loose strands to no avail. Finally, thoroughly convinced that his appearance could not improve at all, Castar made his way to breakfast. Luckily, the room was mostly empty, and those that were eating were, for the most part, sitting in a bleary, slightly grouchy silence. The people tending to the tables and their occupants were, surprisingly, just as compassionate as always.

When one of the girls came to Castar, he quietly ordered a small breakfast. He kept a lookout for Aylwen, wanting to see how she faired the busy night. His breakfast came, and he ate it mechanically, not savoring the taste, but eating out of necessity.

Finally, he saw Aylwen enter the room. He looked up expectantly, trying to catch her eye. Though his head still pounded, and speech seemed to worsen it, he wanted to hear if there was any news. He also just wanted to speak to Aylwen, if at all possible. He had not been able to have a decent conversation with her since the market.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 7:09 PM January 08, 2004: Message edited by: VanimaEdhel ]