HUNT STORY RR-#1. BEGINNING OF 3rd Moon, NewGreen SEASON.
Snowcloud floated above her tribemates. All were eager to hunt, even her son. She grinned and told everyone to grab their weapons and a couple of furs cloaks. She came down and grabbed her short sword. Snowcloud listened to the comments.
**This will be so much fun.**
**Finally a tribe hunt.**
"We need to renew the stores, this winter was bad."
For a moment, Snowcloud remembered her parents and everyone else lost in the avalanche...but then she moved back to the present. Finally new blood was coming. Maybe she would send scouts to the troll entrance and ask them to look for other elves. She shrugged. "Everyone ready?"
FoxEye let out a long howl. Wolf-bonded elves leapt upon their friends and foxes pranced in between all. Overheard the giant birds filled the air with their piercing cries.
"Then let the hunt begin!"
Foxeye's namesakes were alight. The young huntress felt her blood pound in her veins as she ran together with the pack. Fang stayed behind in the Holt together with Kave, this hunt would be too much for his old bones.
She laughed of pure joy and felt the tiny spark of life within her answer to that thrilling feeling. The huntress joined thoughts with her lifemate and tried to share with him that overwhelming freedom when living in the Now! The ground under her boots, the fresh air in her nostrils, and the howl from the pack. This was all she needed. This was how it was meant to be. This was to be a wolfrider.
Snowcloud linked hands with SilverSun. He eagerly searched for his bond-Splotch, a snow cat. She had not yet told him, but she felt a new life within her. She smiled softly to herself. She would tell him later, now was the time to hunt, time to kill, time to Live!
A Howl burst from the lungs of Silversun as he hefted his brightmetal spear overhead and dashed after the pack. This was the Way!
Running after the already walking away elves, SoulWhisper ran to catch up.
**I wanna come too!!!! I can shoot! I can shoot!** Pulling her slingshot back to prove it, she launched a small pebble out.
"OOWWWW" Moonslight screeched as the rock pelted her in the back of her head.
**Oops. Sorry. It won't happen again!** Soulwhisper laughed nervously,**Please can I come?**
Starmist couldn't contain her snicker. Moonslight glared at her. The snicker turned to a laugh.
Snowcloud studied the young girl. It was a relief to know that Soulwhisper was getting over her fear of crowds and large weapons. But she did have seven more seasons to go before her rite of passage. **What do you think?** She asked the others.
Some said yes, some said no. But in the end, it was FoxEye and Kave her made up her mind.
**Cheiftess...I am only two eights and six seasons. Yet I begin hunting when I was her age. Let her try. She can hunt ravvit.** FoxEye motioned Soulwhisper to come closer.
**My brother's daughter...I trust your decision, but the more able our children are to handle the unexpected...the better chance they have of survival.**
Snowcloud gave Soulwhisper a nod of approval. **Just watch where you aim that slingshot!**
Soulwhisper jumped onto a now fully-grown LongChirp. "Let's go!"
**My chief and chieftess...** Motaba sent from a corner. **I would like to come but I must stay...I have to clear things out and whatever it may be I cannot tell you....just trust me...**
They both looked surprized at her and they could see that she indeed was hiding something from them but she would refuse to let anyone know what it was.
**If I'm not here when you come back please don't ask me after where I've been.** She continued and they could see that she had sorrow on her eyes. **I hope you trust me...**
A little smile crossed her face. **You better go now...your hunters are indeed in a hunting mood...** Then Motaba stood up and walked slowly away not looking back.
Riding LongChirp ahead SoulWhisper runs along side the tribe, ready to hunt. "I get to go! I get to go! I get to go!! I get to go. YAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!!"
LongChirp squawked along with the small cub it's knows and loves.
Snowcloud nodded at Motaba's disappearing back. She looked at SilverSun and then to her hunters. "Everyone...Let's go!"
She didn't have a wolf, but a fox named BugEater. She laughed and glided up in the air followed by some others. Immediately a herd of longlegs was spotted from above. Suddenly the rambutious group became stealthy as they moved in the direction of the herd.
The gliders flew back and forth watching the herd and relaying to the tribe. Snowcloud came and settled on the ground for a moment. She frowned unhappily. SilverSun halted and turned to her.
**Beloved? What is it?**
**Tyhe...I feel...anger and grief, madness. It is close and it is elven!**
She shruddered and pushed herself up. She lock-sent to some of the hunters. :RainShale...Dalamar...FoxEye and...: Snowcloud hesitated for a moment trying to decide who to send.
**Send me! Please!** Soulwhisper tugged at SilverSun. **Please can I go?**
"NO!" SilverSun gave a flat out answer. Soulwhisper's shoulders drooped and then she nodded. She turned LongChirp around and headed off to look for ravvit.
**Blizzard go. FairVale, keep an eye on Soulwhisper.**
Snowcloud watched as the four headed off. She closed her eyes and once again found herself engulfed by madness. Quickly, Snowcloud broke the contact and pointed in the direction the hunters should go.
**C'mon...that herd is heading north. Let's follow!** Moonslight interrupted.
**Move out everyone!** Snowcloud sent to everyone.
Dalamar, along with the other three, went off in the direction that their cheiftess had pointed. He wasn't to sure about whether he believed her or not...but she was the chieftess.
He looked over at FoxEye and Blizzard. 'Mar knew that Recogniton was Recogniton and even though he had Moonslight...he couldn't ignore the slight feelings he had for FoxEye. Oh well, he thought to himself, at least it can't get any worse.
Suddenly a mad bear crashed down upon them.
**LOOK OUT!!!** SoulWhisper sent out. FairVale and SoulWhisper watched from a far. There was nothing ethier of the two could do for the monent. Then FairVale sent **Talakuda!! Watch Out Please!!**
Foxeye cursed wildly as she threw herself aside, trying to avoid the bear. The elfess let arrows fly from her bow as fast as she could, and with every arrow she sent a fervent prayer that it wouldn't take the life of an elf...it was dangerous to shoot this way, but more dangerous to let the bear be unharmed. Then it swung it's broad head from side to side and saw which one it was that harmed him with stinging sticks. The small eyes was dimmed with bloodthirst as it roared and stood up on it's back legs. Foxeye cursed again, green eyes wide with fear, as she scrambled backwards and tried to get out of the way. She could feel the blood pound hard in her veins, and suddenly all she could think of was the cub she carried. In the very last moment before the bear would have crushed down on her, she felt a strong arm yank her away and she landed on her back in the snow, only a few metres away from the dangerous animal.
**Careful, love. Watch out for the cub.**
That was all Blizzard sended, as he helped her stand. The huntress nodded and regained her balance. Balancing on the balls of her feet, she sended yet another arrow against the bear, hoping that it would finally realize it had been killed by loss of blood!
Snowcloud and the other elves came charging in, hefting swords, daggers, and other weapons. **Get Soulwhisper and FoxEye outta here**
FairVale grabbed the young elf and ran for cover in the trees. They watched as several elves jumped onto the bear's back and chopped away. Soulwhisper watched for a moment but then a tugging caught her attention.
/I am Shunnar\ /And I, Silvergrowl\ /Follow us, Soulwhisper\ /Find our son\
FairVale was too caught up in the battle and didn't notice as Soulwhisper snuck off.
At the battlefield, Talakuda and Dalamar were attacking the bear's head together. Suddenly, the mighty creature fell down, staining the snow red. Rainshale screamed as the end of the bear came down on her leg. Immediatley the elves were there helping her and soon enough the bear was off of her.
**No one touch this bear, no wolf or fox eat its meat. This creature was mad...foam-mouth disease.**
Everyone nodded in accordance. Dalamar went to and fro healing all the hurts. FairVale popped up and asked. "Where's Soulwhisper?"
Foxeye frowned and looked around. The huntress took a pause from collecting arrows and checking if they were useable once more, and sent thoughtfully **I think I saw her leave earlier, but I thought she just was going to get away from the bear...**
She turned around, hanging the quiver over one shoulder. The redhaired elfess putted one hand to her mouth and called out, "Soulwhisper! Where are you?"
The only answer she got was the echo bouncing of the nearby cliffs.
One by one, the elves realised that their youngest was missing. Dalamar finished healing Starmist and then walked over to FairVale. She had tears streaming down her cheeks. All she could do was look around hysterically.
"I didn't mean to...Cheiftess...left me head the party to find her."
Snowcloud frowned angrily. She looked at FairVale and then sighed. It was not her fault that Soulwhisper had wandered off. Dalamar came up behind her. "What about that madness you felt? Could that have been the bear?"
She lost focus for a moment and then came back. "No, it is elven. It is closer though."
Dalamar thought for a moment and then called his wolf, Nightdancer. He hopped onto the wolf's back and went over to FairVale. **We shall look for her. Have someone check the troll caves...maybe she went in their for safety.**
Starmist and Rainshale looked over at Dalamar. Rainshale composed herself and ran over to her cousin. "I am coming as well, 'Vale, Dalamar."
Swiftfoot shrugged and then headed off to the direction of the cliffs. Hopefully the she-cub would be found before nightfall. He knew how Snowcloud felt...after all, Soulwhisper was the only cub in the holt.
Foxeye touched Blizzard's cheek and looked into his eyes, sharing a brief thought with her lifemate. **The caves, Fireheart. You know them better than anyone here.** Then the huntress turned around and ran after Dalamar.
Blizzard stared for a moment and then turned to SilverSun. **You know the caves as well as I do. Come on, we can go to DarkShroom and get help from the trolls.**
SilverSun nodded solemly. **Ariya, I will meet you back at the holt.**
And with that, the two went to seek help from the trolls.
Blizzard and SilverSun found DarkShroom hovering over a cauldron.Usually her concoctions smelled atrocious, but this actually smelled good.
"Shroom?"
"Hmmm? Is that you pup? And with your sire?" She lifted a wooden spoon and tasted the mysterious broth.
"Yes. Our youngest Soulwhisper is missing. She may have come to the caves, we need your help."
DarkShroom waved them over. She pulled out a couple of mushrooms and handed them over. "These will help you. Eat them."
Silversun stared nervously at the large, brown mushrooms. Tentively he nibbled the edge and immediatley his senses heightened. He quickly gobbled the rest of the mushroom. Blizzard followed his example and within minutes both males were swooning.
DarkShroom grinned. "I'll look around my stores and see if she could have gotten into any of my supplies. Hope that my mushrooms helped you."
She pushed them off into the direction back towards the their holt. DarkShroom hoped they'd find their little she-pup.
The two walked to the cave enterance. A big shadow swormed over them and they looked up.
"Isn't that Motaba's bird?"
"Yes, and there's Motaba."
*******
Motaba had felt him play with her mind ever since she had come to the holt. He must still be in the green grounds of dark elves territory...She landed her hawk a bit from the territory so that no one would see her, then she snuck as near as she could.
"They still guard it very well, I see. But I guess they still havn't traversed all the other ways in and out."
She turned around and went to a nearby opening in the moutain surounding the green and she stood in the opening a few minutes letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. She started walking on a narrow path that went deep into the mountain. No troll nor clumsy human could walk there and survive. Surely not after she had put out so many traps there the last time she was here. She managed to avoided all traps and then she came to a room.
"The big room of truth." She called it, mainly because there was so many paths from the room to chose and only she knew them all. Some thing caught her eye. In the middle of the room there were two skulls.
She walked over to them and took one in each hand. "Elven skulls...but...I..I have a feeling I knew them." She gasped. "Morkalan and Felderklos, my dear friends, you must have overheard a conversation and heard about this path and in dessperation come to seek freedom from him. But you must have walked her for days and never found the path out and just gave up and..."
Her words faded off. She couldn't say the word she was so use to saying. She couldn't say "died". She put down the skulls and swore thats she'd return the same way and take the skulls with her out on the other side so there souls would find peace.
She continued to walk along a path and then she saw a little spring where the sun could come in. She knew that it wasn't much far but then she stopped. "Something stinks here," she thought.
She thought she heard something. She listened carefully. It sounded nearly as a scrapping sound. Like something being dragged on the floor, or more like...Again she gasped.
"Oh no...it couldn't be...it couldn't be...I killed him years agow but still he messes with my mind." She thought.
She stared as he came around the corner, only his presence could make her shiver with fear. She backed off into "The room of truth" and as he came in the whole room filled with light. And before her stood a chumpy looking troll with a grin all over his face.
"But...but you're not Ganekara, and still I feel his presence."
"It is because I'm in this troll, Motaba. I've taken over him."
"I killed you a long time ago. How is this possible?"
"Just before you caused the destruction of my home, I put all my powers into this troll but I never told him who I was. So one day he got curious and brought me to his own body but then I took it over and became the one I am today."
"So to really kill you I have to get you powers."
"If I don't kill you first that is."
He quikly took up a sword and attacked. Motaba quickly floated up into the air and landed herself on the other side.
How am I suppose to take his powers away from him. I must destroy them, but how. If I kill the troll he's in, he'll only send his powers on and this will be a circle without an end. She thought to herself.
He came at her swinging the sword, just missing her. He wasn't good at fighting as he wasn't used to the troll body. Maybe he was just as slow in transfering his powers to another one when he's like this...
He attacked once again and she jumped, but he managed to get control of his sword in time and struck her right arm. She landed hard on the cave ground and took out one of her left hand swords and attacked, but she wasn't as good with her left as with her right. And she missed her aim and the sword had just managed to make a flesh wound on his hand. She stood up and noticed that he was about to transfer his magic so she threw her sword at him in desperation and hit him. Going it's way into his hart and killing him.
She looked at the troll body laying by one of the doors that led back to his evil land. But still somehow she could feel his presence around her.
"I hope for your own sake Ganekara that your soul has gone to rest."
She walked over to the troll and took up her sword and put it away then she noticed her arm was bleeding a lot. She took a peace of leather and wrapped it around her wound.
"This will have to do until I'm back at the holt. Come on my friends, let's bring you to freedom." She picked up the two skulls and walked out of the mountain. She sneaked away quietly so the guards wouldn't hear her.
When Motaba finally came to the place where she had left her hawk, she put down the skulls. Motaba took off home to the holt hoping she would never have to return, but she still had a feeling she would met him again.
*******
**Motaba! Soulwhisper is missing, come help us!** And with that Motaba set off to join the search.
Foxeye ran after Dalamar, eyes scanning the area and all senses wide open. She knuckled her fists and pressed the last out of the air in her lungs, forcing herself to run fast and long without stopping to rest. It was a habit she had had to learn as Fang had grown too old to carry her.
Every now and then, her green eyes rested on Dalamar as he searched together with her. The elfess knew that he had liked her earlier, but ever after her mating with Blizzard...the elf had withdrawn. Foxeye gave up a mentally sigh as she ran on, feet pounding against the frozen ground. Why couldn't males just get along? If it was a roll in the furs Dalamar wanted, it wasn't such a big deal. But the image of a raging Blizzard wasn't far away when the young elfess' thoughts roamed in that directon, and that was the biggest problem here. So she just ran on, looking for the lost cub, hoping that perhaps Dalamar would do something as they were alone out here. Do something that gave her the opportunity to solve this problem.
Soulwhisper walked along the forest following the voices in her head, the voices of the dead, of the souls. She soon spotted the edge of the forest and the beginning of the cliffs. /Yes to the cliffs/ /Find our son please/ /To the cliffs' top/
Soulwhisper looked up the huge rocky form in front of her. Should she climb? She looked behind her. The others would be worried about her but she had to help the strange elves in her head. No one else could hear them. She looked up once more before grabbing onto the edge of the cliff and slowing started to make her way up. What would she find when she got to the top?
----
Snowcloud stayed outside the holt entrance watching her tribemates. They reported to her on their progress. Some wanted to give up on the search, but others were desperate to find the little cub.
She frowned. Soulwhisper had been gone for eight suns, and Dalamar and his search party for just as long. Her mate and son had explored most of the caves that they knew. Options were seriously fading.
**Everyone report in...everyone at the holt, everyone near the holt. Come back, we need to have a council.**
Foxeye growled deep in her throat. The elfin maiden was alone in the mountains above the Holt. She had left Fang at the Holt-caves a few suns ago, and she had left Dalamar's search party to explore on her own at the same time. The wolfrider was part of her Pack, still she wasn't patient enough to search together with them.
Snowcloud's far-away sending reached Foxeye just as she was climbing a steep cliffside. Her fingers had gone numb, even if it was Longlight time, the higher parts of the mountains were cold and snow could be found in places. She perched on a cliff ledge and gazed out over the terrain, answering after a while.
**I'll come, Snowcloud. But it'll take a while. I'm far away.**
Three truths. The huntress couldn't lie in sending. And the Way she followed ordered her to obey her Chieftess, the leader of the pack. But she sat still on that ledge, thinking and weighing the decisions back and forth... Couldn't she just go to the Holt a longer way, trying to cover some of the unsearched places? No... If she was to reach the council before it was over, she had to leave now and run the straight way. With a sigh, she climbed down again and started running with her short red hair flying back from her face and her green eyes determined.
Snowcloud sent back to the huntress. **You are excluded. I want Dalamar's party to keep hunting. I'll have one of the stronger senders link to you and the hunters. Keep searching!**
Starmist ignored the cheiftess. Alone in the barren mountains, the tall elfess searched for the lost cub. She put her mild tracking skills to use and searched while she tried to send out for her. Whether she was hearing or not she wasn't sure but she kept going in the direction she felt strongly. By now she was far from the holt. That cub was somewhere, she could sense it.
Back at the holt- A shadow fell on Snowcloud and she looked up to see Motaba's bird. Motaba floated down beside her. "What's happning? Havn't you found Soulwhisper yet?"
"No, I'm afraid not."
"I couldn't see her when I was riding my bird, but then again I wasn't looking for her. I thought you'd already found her. But I could take another round if you like."
**Please do! We are running short of options!**
Kave was worried where he sat by the fire, poking it now and then with a stick. He watched the glowing embers. Sometimes they burst out in sparks, sometimes they kept their steady glow, and every now and then a few of them faded away to ashes. The elf sighed, his shoulders slumped and his steady gaze tired.
'They are just like us,' he thought to himself. 'All sparks like Foxeye, Blizzard or the other youngsters, glowing faithfully like dear Snowcloud or Silversun, or fading away like me. I hope Soulwhisper won't fade yet.'
His thoughts were interrupted as Snowcloud suddenly bended down over his fire, stacking some firewood on it and making it burn bright again. The Chieftess glanced at him with a little smile. "There you are Kave, isn't this better?"
The old elf nodded with a little sigh. Cubs, every one of them. Cubs.
Motaba followed them with her eyes but then turned around and sigh'd. She floated up on her bird again and noticed that she was beginning to feel a bit chilly so she took up a coat that she had with her and sett of sending for Soulwhisper and waiting for her to answer but nothing came.
******
Soulwhisper finally got to the top of the cliff. As she stop to rest her eyes looked over the rocky area. Her eyes spotted a dark cave a few feet in font of her, she slowly made her way to the cave's mouth the voices returned once more.
/Enter/ /Enter the cave/ /Enter and find our son/
Soulwhisper looked into the cave from the outside. It was dark but you could see a little. Biting her bottom lip she entered the cave. She ran her hand a long the wall so she could walk without falling over anything. She walked almost three-fourths the way in when she saw something or someone. Her eyes went wide, it was an elf or she thought it was an elf. She was about to run back out when the elf turned and saw her.
'Now what? I should have stayed with others' she thought as she turned to run and find the others for help.
*******
Moonslight walked along the forest in search of the missing cub. The holt has been looking for her ....mmmm....ohhhh she lost count. 'It's been way too long.' she thought to herself, 'sure the cub was a pain sometimes and I did get hit with the rock. In the head, of course, by the small cub but I miss her as well as the holt.'
As MoonSlight was about to turn back something caught her eye, as she walked towards it she knew where it had came from. It was Soulwhisper's sling-shot, the cub must have had dropped it. 'Well now I know she came this way.' MoonSlight smiled to herself. 'Now to tell the others. I hope someone hears this.'
**SOMEONE!!!! ANYONE!!!!! I FOUND SOMETHING!!!!** MoonSlight sat down looking at the small item in her hand. 'Now to wait for the others.'
The sending reached Foxeye. She had crawled under some bushes to sleep for a while, but the silent cry made her come to her feet with a startled look. For a second or two she looked around, trying to find the best way, and then the huntress run off. Finally!
Motaba nearly missed the send but caught it and turned her big bird at the direction. She knew that it would go quite fast to reach Moonslight from the air, but if she stood under a tree or something it wouldn't be as easy. She came into the area where Moonslight was but she couldn't see her so she floated down and let her bird fly off.
**Moonslight? Where are you?**
Moonslight that was looking at the sling-shoot hadn't noticed Motaba, but when she heard the send she looked up and sent. **I'm here by the tree.**
Motaba turned around and went behind the bush and there by the tree Moonslight stood. **What have you found?**
**Soulwhisper's sling-shoot.**
Motaba looked at it for a second then said, "I guess we'll have to wait for the others."
She sat down by the tree to have a rest, because since she had left the holt and gone to the elven territory she hadn't had a minute's rest.
Rainshale gazed around, the shadows were thicker as the daystar sunk below the horizon and her face was creased with worry. They had not found little Soulwhisper yet and she feared for the cub's safty. Shoving a lock of her midnight hair from her eyes, the quiet rockshaperblinked as her eyes became used to the dimness. Being elven, she could see far better in the dark than the light...though complete darkness was her foe.
Thunderhowl growled softy and she felt his fur stand up as he brushed against her. Absently, she ran her hand across his back and sent him calming images...it was nearly a useless gesture as she was certainly not feeling at all calm. Yet the wolf did seem to relax a bit.
** We'll find her, friend.** She sent, as much to convince herself as him, ** We have to. **
She hefted her spear to her left hand, feeling it's weight and balance, feeling also the subtle touch of something...wrong...felt like the heaviness before a skyfire storm. She turned around, the others had gone in seperate directions, seeking the lost cub, she was suppose to be searching as well, slowly...seeking the source of that heaviness.
Thunderhowl began a low, nearly inaudible growl as his eyes reflected the light of the fading sun.
** Soulwhisper!** Rainshale cried out with her mind, her own heart beating fast, ** Please! Answer cub!**
She closed her eyes sent as hard as she could, blocking out all other thoughts and all other sendings...it was a risk, for at any moment a tribemate might call, or her chieftess or chief might need her...but she took that risk...for the cub.
Suddenly, something hit her full force and she spun around, hitting the ground hard. The wind knocked out of her, she gasped it back in and looked up. Foxeye looked over at her from where she'd fallen on her rump a few yards away. She shook her head and shoved herself to her feet.
"Rainshale!" Foxeye said, when she could speak again, "Didn't you hear MoonSlight? She's found something. Let's go!"
Rainshale cleared her head and heard the faint echo of MoonSlight's recent sending. She took Foxeye's hand as the younger elf pulled her up, and together with Rainshale's wolf-friend they raced towards MoonSlight and the other gathering elves.
