Loved ones left behind
It was a quiet day in The Palace. The spirit of those who'd died relaxed, talking about the loved ones they'd left behind.
"So Skot, "Kahvi said, turning to her former tribes mate, "You actually managed to sire a child or two..."
Instead of answering Skot simply smiled, struggling to keep hold of the energy bundle called Cheipar, even though the boy had died an infant he appeared as a five year old.
However, the peace was soon disturbed when Zey walked in.
"You just killed me!" he said angry to Kahvi.
"Oh yeah…" Shushen said, standing up, "you just killed me."
"And me." Lutei exclaimed, standing up beside Shushen.
"Well…" Jekko said, coming up behind Zey, "that idiotic Dart guy killed me."
"HEY!" Shushen stepped forwards with an angry look on his face "Don't call my soul-brother an idiot!"
"What's going on?" Serrin came in looking rather confused.
"He called Dart an idiot." Shushen pointed angry at Jekko.
"He killed me!"
"You attacked us. What had we even done to you?"
"You didn't need that palace…"
"Yes we did! It was the only way to contact our family in the New Land."
It would surely have turned into a big quarrel if Skot hadn't for once been clever enough to fetch some of the others
"Stop it. Serrin, stop it." Wing said, yanking his daughter away from hitting Zey Square in the face.
"Mother… he's not worth it…" Vaya finally managed to stop Kahvi from going crazy.
After a while the fighters had cooled down and every one sat down.
"Phew…" Thiro said, putting his hands behind his neck, "what happened to The Sun folk being peace loving?"
"Well… Cutter and company's arrival in Sorrow's End did stir things up a little."
"It was bound to. I mean… he recognized Leetah the first thing he did."
"Hah. Leetah recognized. Can imagine old Rayek wasn't too happy."
"He was mad. I guess he wouldn't have been even if Leetah hadn't recognized Cutter; he loved his place as sole hunter. And then came the Wolfriders; an entire tribe of hunters. And well… we'd grown dependant… we had Rayek hunting for us and Leetah healing us when we received the smallest scratch. Then the Wolfriders came… Rayek left, seven years after Leetah too, and Dart… well… he taught us to defend ourselves while Mender, when he was old enough… took Leetah's place as healer, until then Toorah fixed the worst wounds, as she'd done before Leetah was born."
"Well…" Voll said, coming in, "guess you Wolfriders stirred things up everywhere you went. Things in Blue Mountain surely got stirred up a bit."
"Things weren't stirred up amongst the Go-Back." Yif said happily. "Guess we already were stirred up."
No one could find an answer to that and for a few seconds they simply sat, looking at each other. Then Crescent came in, giggling insanely.
"What's so funny?"
"Just been checking on my parents. Chitter's really making life exciting for them."
"You seem to think it's funny. It is…"Rainsong said smiling, entering the same moment.
"Yeah… and… it's good for them. They had it too easy with me and Dart."
They could easily agree that the youngest cub of Strongbow and Moonshade surely wasn't an easy one.
"Those two boys at Howling Rock aren't exactly easy either." Rain came in, "and Sust might even me my grandson."
"Yeah… he might be. And he might be my son. We'll have to wait; if he develops a liking of dreamberries then we know who the father is."
"What are those dreamberries anyway?" Yurek asked, his question prompting Bearclaw to go into some kind of shock.
"He… doesn't know… what dreamberries are! What are you?"
"Easy now Bearclaw, "One-Eye said smiling "there weren't dreamberry bushes in Sorrow's End until Redlance planted a bush."
"I remember." Rainsong said laughing. "The look on Minyah's face when he actually did make a seed grow by starring at it."
Those who'd been there smiled at the memory of the gardener trying to explain to the plant-shaper that plants needed time and care to grow, only to be proved wrong on the time part.
"I don't remember it…" Wing had gotten a thoughtful look on his face, as if he trying really hard to remember.
"You were an infant. Of course you don't remember…" Woodlock smiled to his oldest son, the only of his children who'd chosen not to be put in wrap stuff.
"You know what I can't believe?" One-Eye said.
"No… what?"
"The cubs. The twins. Little Suntop and Ember. Grown up. Suntop, er… Sunstream, he's got a new name, already recognized. And Ember pretty close to, with that Teir guy."
"Teir… hmm… I think he's my son." Kahvi said.
And so they talked; about loose and fast, a day in The Palace but outside, who knows? It could be a day, it could be millennia. The truth is; you don't feel the time move, only one thing exist; The Now.