Miss Shaylin

...has taken a leave, and I feel a bit lost without her. I remember when I first met her.


I watched her dance, and she was, well, just fascinatin'. I had never seen anyone move like she did, with such flowing grace that could turn and spin circles around you without you even knowin' it. She had the prettiest clothes I had ever seen - looked expensive and probably were.

Then I found out she was a Companion, and the rich clothes made sense - as well as the dancin' like no one else. She was trained in all those arts, and then some.

I was real surprised to find out she was a Daywalker. She was the first one I ever met. I didn't ever have no fear of her, though. In fact, I gave her a supply (not mine, but some I had access to) when she needed it.

When I had my 'accident' with Shadowbroker, and came back all broken up in pieces, not rememberin' my own name, let alone anything else, it was Shaylin that took me in, like I was her own girl. She petted me like I was needin' to be petted, and kept me from hurtin' my self or anyone else. Ok, so she locked me in and I didn't like that...but it was for my own good.

She helped me get some of my mind back, too. She never pressured me, just loved me into it. Shaylin ...I used to look for her every night, from the first time I ever saw her, because to see her felt like I was seeing a place I wanted to be. Its hard to explain. Now, she's taken a leave, and I don't know when, or even if she's coming back.

What hurts most is that she didn't even tell me goodbye. I found out she was gone when I went to see her and her bed was not there, and there was a copy of a note she'd sent to someone from the Companion place saying that she had to leave us. She was afraid she'd hurt us or cause some problem. I remember her sittin' by herself in the bar the last time I saw her. She didn't look like herself. She was pale, and dark at the same time. She was talkin' to no one.

And then she was gone.

Funny how I can remember her so clearly, and yet there are other things that are completely blank. The Companion House sets empty now, except for the occasional new Companion that stops by. They never stay. I suspect they never will. Shaylin is supposed to be there, and ain't no one else going to quite fit in that space.

The very worst part of all this is that there is no way to find her, and help her if she is in some way sick. I'd rather see her well and not here than here and sick, but in the ideal world, she could be with us and well. I'm sometimes accused of being too optomistic, but let the accusations be damned, I do think its possible. Love is a mighty powerful thing.