<div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/thumb/f/fd/Theresa04.jpg/375px-Theresa04.jpg)</div>After relieving the worst of the itches and sitting as she nursed her aching body, Theresa decided it was time to do something about her condition.  The worst pain was inside her skull, and while it took her a while to realize it, she came to the conclusion that she must have been hit on the head.  A ginger prodding along her temple and around behind the ear convinced her she had quite a bruise.  If the pain was caused by the injury, then it would be easy to...  She focused her thoughts as she reached up to touch herself again, but she stopped short of invoking her power.<br/><br/><strong>"It's just a little headache girl."</strong>She chided herself.<strong>"You can live with a headache, best not to waste healing on yourself when others may be in greater need."</strong>This selfless attitude ran contrary to her nature, and even as she spoke she wondered if the injury to her head was more severe than it seemed.  Almost, she smiled at the banal  proverb of blow-to-the-head based personality transformation.  So many skits - even puppet skits - depended on the silly notion.  Still, she wondered how the idea started?  She shrugged, immediately wincing when her head reminded her that she was in no shape to contemplate the devices of half-rate playwrights.<br/><br/>She was more aware of her surroundings now that she wasn't entirely focused on herself.  And she wondered how she had failed to notice the nearly naked dark elf until the female practically stepped on her.  And then she was surprised again, when a man approached from the other direction and addressed her.  For a spot on a deserted beach, this area certainly grew a crowd.  Maybe it had something to do with her lack of attire.  That could be it.  She considered covering herself with more than arms and legs folded across her front, but decided she had better things to do at the moment than search for clothing.  Though the chill breeze off the water certainly gave her pause.  In this climate, clothing was certainly not optional!<br/><br/><strong>"Nothing to find here."</strong>She told the scavenging barbarian.<strong>"Not even my clothes.  Or my virtue, for that matter."</strong>The joke was so weak she didn't feel the slightest desire to laugh, which all-in-all was a good thing, considering the pain that laughing would likely do to her already splitting headache.<strong>"Give me a hand up, would you...?"</strong>She asked, stretching out a bare arm toward the upright part-drow, ignoring the overly salacious offer of help from the man squatting before her.  Besides, he was sitting and probably needed a hand-up himself.<br/><br/>Before she could accept aid, offered or otherwise, she heard the snarls from a section of hull, and the ominous scratching of claws against wood.<strong>"Either the ship's cat is much bigger than I remember, or we had some mighty strange cargo"</strong>She she noted with mild irony.  Standing - either with aid or without - she turned to face the rocking section of ruined hull.<br/><br/>Apparently unaware of her nudity for the moment, though her pinkish brown nipples stood upthrust in the cold and her equally dark areola ridged in mighty goose-bumps, she flashed the man a grin.<strong>"Thank you Brandon."</strong>She didn't offer her name.  Time for that later.<strong>"But we'd best face whatever that is while we have an advantage."</strong>She replied to his directive to get off the beach.  Then she frowned.<strong>"Though running might be best.  At least until we can find or make some weapons."</strong>