Unwanted Needs

Blizzard and FoxEye look at each other and smile as Kave begins his tale.

*******************************************************

The snowstorm was still raging outside, now on it's third day. Endlessly the wind howled, throwing the white cold higher and higher outside the den's secure walls. It was getting on Foxeye's nerves to be locked up with the Chief and Chieftess and their family. The young redhaired huntress opened a little hole in the door-hide and peeked out, but the chilly air forced her to withdraw again. She growled and paced back and forth for a while, before deciding with a sigh to do as the wolves and snuggle down - not with her head under her tail, but at least comfortable enough to outwait the storm.

As she tried to find a good place, she stumbled over the shaft off a spear. Her mossgreen eyes arrowed as she scrambled to her feet again. "Cursed troll-loving longleg-dung!"

The quite describing curse was bestowed upon Blizzard Coldheart, her chieftess's son. She spat at the ground and leaned closer to him, glaring at the elf with a look that could shatter stone. "Keep your things... to... you...rse...lf..."

Her voice trailed off. Her mind trailed off... the mossgreen eyes locked with his cold ice blue eyes, and she felt how the thing she'd kept as dearly as her own life was ripped from her. The knowledge of what was happening had been etched into her very bones... but no! Foxeye cried out loud and threw herself away. The young elfmaiden staggered to her feet, not caring the slightest for the other elves' suprised looks. Gasping, she picked up her spear and her bow, flung a fur over her shoulders and dived out into the storm before anyone had the time to react. Well out, she hid behind the sturdy trunk of a tree and shivered under the fur, as much of the cold as of the terrible, naked knowledge of what she had seen in Blizzard's cold eyes. She refused to even think of it...Recognition.

Blizzard had said nothing during the whole affair. It was not until TruePath had left that he reacted. He simply got up and left. The name, Yoorah, rang clearly in his mind, twisting and turning with his own soulname.

SilverSun looked over at his son's disappearing body and then at his lifemate. **Ariya are you thinking what I am thinking?**

"I just saw FoxEye running for her life. I'm guessing-"

"-Recognition. Hmmm. This should be interesting."

Snowcloud sighed at her lifemate's mirth. She knew how her son felt about recognition and females in genreal. But, there hadn't been a recogniton since her and Silversun AND new blood would be nice to have..

Blizzard called to his bond, Jumpquick. **Friend..what wrong?**

**Recogntion. High Ones...and with that air-headed FoxEye to make things worse.**

The fox looked at his friend with a confused look. **Not good?**

**No. Definately not good. And Snowcloud is definately going to gloat over this.**

The snow was beginning to chill her to her very bones. Foxeye glanced towards the den's opening... it was only a few paces away, but she could never go back there! Never! She was not under any circumstances going to give her freedom to Mren... to Blizzard. The red-haired elfess tried to shut out his soulname from her mind, but it twined with her own and refused to let her rest. Foxeye wondered why she was so angry. After all, she had lovemates among her furs before. But this was different... so very different. This time it would result in a cub, and this time it would be with Blizzard. The mere thought of those harsh, cold hands touching her... The redhead shivered. But still, to refuse Recognition was against the Way she followed.

With a deep sigh, she tried to stand up, hardening herself for the battle to come. But as the maiden tried to stand up, her legs gave way under her and she fell down again. Her skin was blue of the cold now, and her breath had frosted against her cheeks. Foxeye cursed silently and fought to get to her feet. After a while, the struggle gave her enough blood in her limbs to move against the den, and after some more seconds, she almost reached it. But her strength gave way in the last moment and she fell against the doorhide, into the den, sending openly to all **Cursed snow... warmth... sleepy...**

Then her mind slipped away. The elfin maiden lied on the floor with the snow whirling in through the still open hide, her skin pale, her lips a bluish nuance and her features very still. But at least it wasn't that deadly cold... just something very close.

Dalamar raced to his friend's side. He hadn't had his healer talents for that long, but he would try really hard to help. FoxEye's skin was blue and her fingertips purple.

**Foxy?? It's me, Dalamar. I'm here to help.** He sent reassurance over and over again.

The Swiftfoot placed his hands on her body and concentrated on warming her body. He thought about the blood moving swiftly, coarsing through her body. Softly, FoxEye moaned and her eyes fluttered.

"Where?"

"Back in the caves. Why did you run out? That was foolish." He scolded her. She turned her head away sadly. Dalamar looked at her in surprise.

"Foxy?"

**Where's the Coldheart?** She sent mournfully.

Rainshale came up beside the two. "He left for the troll caves with Jumpquick."

FoxEye cursed the HighOnes again. She stiffly got up and walked to her hollow, leaving behind a confused healer.

Dalamar looked to Rainshale for an explaination. Talakuda walked up and smiled ruefully. "Recogniton."

Dalamar nodded and immediately sympathized with TruePath. Anyone who recognized that frozen troll dung....he sighed. There was nothing he could do...after all, recogniton was recogntion.

Blizzard raced towards the troll caves. He knew them better than his own holt. "I don't want this! She's a cub, a little cub! I can refuse this, I am strong enough."

Even though he said this, pain ripped through his body. A figure watched him from the shadows. It was humped and breathed heavily.

**Friend, no die please.** Jumpquick pleaded.

"I won't die. I am too strong...a cub, I don't need a stinking cub!"

"Just remember...you are barely out of cubhood." The figure stepped forward. The female troll carried a basket of mushrooms and her murky eyes watched him carefully. She liked him better than her own coward son.

"DarkShroom! I need a place to stay." Blizzard pleaded.

"Fine, you young pup. I knew you'd get yourself into trouble. Come on and I'll show you this new batch of mushrooms I found." The troll waddled ahead of Blizzard, not really caring if he followed or not.

Picking up Jumpquick, Blizzard followed DarkShroom to her stores. He knew that FoxEye would not follow him to the troll caves. She believed that trolls were not part of "The Way".

"You don't know your way through the trolls caves. You need a guide." Silversun tried to talk to FoxEye.

"I have to do this on my own. Trust me, I will find M-Blizzard. I will, I can't ignore the calling." And with that, TruePath picked up her satchel and called for Fang. She headed towards the end of the holt and into troll territory. I hope I know what I'm doing, she thought to herself.

She moved with ease through the snow, now that the storm had lessened. The huntress looked around uncertainly, reaching out to touch Fang's head with a slightly trembling hand.**They are not REALLY eating elves, Fang...that's just a cubstory.**

The image she recieved from her aging companion did nothing to ease her mind, it was an image of Foxeye fighting against a huge warty troll while Fang, old and slow, couldn't help. Foxeye sniffed. "You're not much of a help, you know that?"

Ahead of her, she could see a vaguely darker part of the mountainside. If she was right, that would be just about where the entrance to their caves was... but there was no way she would walk into that dreadful place. Instead she looked around for a while. **Fang, find us a place to set camp.**

Foxeye smiled and took to the trees herself, while Fang silently plodded away. And the first night came and went.

The second time the moons rose over the horizons after her Recognition to Coldheart, they found her secure in her little camp. Snow had been digged out to make a little hollow, and she had caught a ravvit earlier which she now shared with Fang. A little fire danced before the odd couple, and she rested. That pulling on her soul hadn't lessened a bit, rather it had only increased in strength. Foxeye sighed as she snuggled closer to Fang, her eyes fixed upon the mountainside where she was sure the trolls would live. Carefully, almost hesitant, she locksent out into the night. **Mren. I know you're out there, Mren. I'm here...**

She added an image of her little camp to the sending. Then she closed it and sighed again, settling down to wait.

And in the deep caves of the trolls, Blizzard Coldheart felt the sending of his soulname and couldn't help but whisper to himself. "Yoorah..."

He knew she didn't like trolls. Blizzard sighed and got up from his bed. His dreams had been about before his birth. The happiness he felt before all the anger and sadness. Blizzard began to pace back and forth.

"You...want you." He whispered to himself. Blizzard admited to himself that FoxEye was cute, okay extremely cute. But that didn't mean he wanted to...be with her.

**Please friend. Go. Know where mate at.** Jumpquick sent.

"Your pup seems anxious." DarkShroom commented. She was comparing a large green mushroom to a blue spotted one. She took a bit of the blue spotted one and grinned. "Here Blizzard, try THIS!"

Blizzard took the mushroom from the trader troll. He took a big bite and then a huge grin appeared on his face. All around everything began to swarm. Blizzard's thoughts became clouded and turned to FoxEye. **Yoorah.**

His sendings were blurred. He heard DarkShroom's laughter and Jumpquick's barking. He grabbed several furs and made his way to the troll's exit on the mountainside.

FoxEye woke up with a start. She had felt Blizzard sending to her, all night she had been dreaming about him. She slowly got up and walked to the troll cave entrance.

"At least the wind's gone down." She told Fang. **Hey, I need you to leave please. Do you understand?**

Fang nodded once then lopped away. A few seconds later, Blizzard stumbled out of the cave. "FoshEye, pretty one. I want you." He held out his arms to her.

Foxeye looked at him warily. This was definately not the Blizzard she knew. Carefully, she took some steps back, away from him. "What is going on, Blizzard? You're acting... strange."

The elf smiled and took some unsteady steps towards her, trying to make his eyes see straight. Slowly he said, "I'm not... Not stranshe, Fosheye. Now come here... We both want thish."

She shook her head and kept walking backwards. The red hair fell before her eyes, but the elfess didn't care. At last he came - but all... strange! Her acute sences felt the sweet scent touching his breath, and she saw how his pupils seemed unusually large. "Some root," she thought. "Root or one of those strange mushrooms."

Loud, Foxeye growled, "I won't walk with you until you say so, when you have come to your senses!"

She had to fight hard, not to walk to him immediately. The urge in her body pulsed hard, making her blood warm, and she had to lick her lips to moisten them. But even a she-wolf in heat could choose her mates, and this she-wolf had a mind to guide her! Suddenly, too quick for the drugged Blizzard to react, she launched herself at him. Foxeye and Blizzard landed hard in the snow, she rolled around and slapped him lightly in his face. The cold snow shocked him back to at least partial sobrity, and Foxeye tried to get away before he fully understood what had happened. The agile elfess balanced on the balls of her feets, eyes intent upon him as she sent, **I need you as much as you need me, Mren. But don't think I'll follow you to your furs before you can tell me so when thinking straight. Now cool off!**

She turned around to get into her snowcave again. Blizzard tried to react, but the mushrooms blurred his thinking. Slowly he got up, but sat right back down. "'Shroom is going to pay for this. She did it on purpose."

He said this to no one in particular. He looked over at FoxEye's camp, wondering want to do. Deep down he was glad she had hit him, but anger arose because no elf had ever dared to touch him. Getting up angrily, he stormed over to her site and barged in.

"How dare you hit me!" He thundered at her.

FoxEye merely looked at him. She kept repeating that she would not be intimedated. Carefully she got up and walked over to him and in the blink of an eye, smacked Coldheart again. "You deserved it."

He could not believe she had just hit him again. Blizzard saw her turn away from him. Without thought he grabbed her and pushed her to the ground. FoxEye stared at him for a moment before laughing out loud. She scrambled up and tackled Blizzard. The two fell outside.

**Don't think you are going to win.** He sent strongly to her.

**I don't think Mren, I know.** She sent right back at him.

Blizzard grabbed her and rolled her over, so he was on top. "Stop saying that."

"What? Mren? Face it, we are recognized!" She yelled angrily.

Suddenly he ran his hand along her cheek. "Don't you think I know that Yoorah?" He whispered softly.

Foxeye closed her eyes. She felt his hand touch her cheek, so softly...and his voice, it was somehow different. The elfess knew instinctively that it was something like this she had waited for. But even if she finally could allow herself to live in the Now, and to still the aching longing, the snow was beginning to wet through her clothes and chill her body... Foxeye opened her eyes again. She caught his eyes and murmured, "Perhaps no one has to win, Mren."

She saw how the icy blue eyes seemed puzzled. While patiently lying still under him, without any more fighting, Foxeye sent **I've never wanted to crush you, harm you or your damned pride. And we don't have to lifemate if you don't want it. But I won't let you go on with no respect for the mother of your cub.**

Slowly Foxeye began inching her way away from him. The elfess touched his cheek with her hand and removed some snowflakes. Then she nodded towards her little cave and sended again, with all the intimacy that close mind-contact meant **There are furs and warmth there, Coldheart. Perhaps I can warm you.**

With those words, she crawled inside again. Yes, there was the furs, and there was the little tallow-lamp she had brought with her. And there was the promised fullfillment of that moment when her eyes had met his. The redhaired elfess sighed contently and turned around, bestoving a loving smile upon Blizzard. This would not be so bad after all...

Blizzard could not help but be affected by the look FoxEye had given him. He still was unsure of what to do...he didn't want to have his freedom taken away. Blizzard knew that what she said was true. They didn't have to be lifemates, but it would be nice to have someone. He openly sent to her.

**I have always had respect for you. Just because I say nothing, doesn't mean that I don't feel. To be Keeper of the Way at such an early age...**

He trailed off. FoxEye mulled over what he said. She knew that he wasn't lying...no one could lie in sending. She watched the entrance carefully. Blizzard got up out of the snow and walked into FoxEye's little den.

"Perhaps I can learn to love her," he thought to himself. Hestitently, he made his way over to her. They both looked each other in the eyes before embracing.

**Yoorah** **Mren**

And with that, the two elves gave into the pull of Recogniton. In their minds, they knew that neither had to stay together afterward...but their hearts told them otherwise.

Jumpquick and Fang sat outside of the campsite. They knew what was going on inside. Yawning, Fang went to sleep. Jumpquick just chuckled mentally and then got up to go tell the other elves the good news.

More stories