Windarcher stared at the lonely, hissing fire. A gentle breeze danced
through the flames only to crawl through to the other side, to wrap the
shivering elf in her warm embrace.
"Rrrrr," The loner moved his gaze from the fire to his right. His bond-fox, Strifeclimber, was moaning in his sleep. Windarcher watched with bittersweet eyes as the fox's three legs twitched against the ground as if he were running.
'He's not very old,' Windarcher thought to himself, 'but he's probably suffered more than any other his age.'
As Strifeclimber's tongue came rolling out of his narrow muzzle, his elfin friend slipped into a state of painful reminiscence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Come on, pup!" Shadowsmile cooed as she slipped into an underbrush.
"I'm only a few turns younger, Shadowsmile!" The white haired elf watched as his female play-mate vanished, taking her tall and slender cream form, unruly brown curls, and dazzling purple eyes with her.
With a chuckle, the youngest elf in the tribe leapt up, grabbed hold of an oak branch, and swung himself gracefully into a sea of green.
** Windarcher.. ** The send was sing-songy. ** I see you! ** Windarcher spun quickly, his off-white, ruffled shirt tossed about. He pierced the leaves with fiery-orange eyes. He watched as a shadow's eyes opened to reveal bright and violet shards. The eyes bounced with the shadow's giggles.
"You're too good at this game!" The pretty elf giggled as she stepped out in front of him. Windarcher smiled. Though he had only lived through thirteen turns of the seasons, he was his sire's cub. He traced his eyes over the liquid smooth curves of Shadowsmile's body. Her short olive green skirt and low-cut, mid-drift cream shirt brought out some of her best features. Including her mischievous, grinning purple eyes that helped her earn her name.
"Windarcher! S-shadowsmile!" The duo turned as Firestorm jumped over a log and stumbled towards them while regaining his balance. Firestorm was only a day or so older then Windarcher, and they were close enough to be called soulbrothers. Firestorm's bright auburn hair was not the only trait adding to his name, his unpredictable temper added to his charming personality. Windarcher smiled as Firestorm's sparkling green eyes met his.
"What are you yelling about?" Shadowsmile said smirking. Firestorm looked up at her.
"Singtree's called a-a p-pack me-e-eting!" He huffed.
"A pack meeting!" Shadowsmile shrieked in delight.
"Yeah, all because of Windarcher's sire!" Firestorm reached out and rustled Windarcher's mane. The white haired elf started to reach up and smack his hand away, but he'd dealt with it before. He crossed his arms over his chest, and looked at Firestorm with one eyebrow raised. The other elf stopped, and flashed one of his award-winning smiles. Windarcher's mane was now tossed and stuck out at odd angles.
"Well, let's not keep 'em waiting!" Shadowsmile called as she turned, leapt over the same log Firestorm had, and vanished.
** So what'd my sire do this time? **
** You know Treehopper, always in trouble! ** The two elves turned to sending to save their breath. ** He and Cloudwater were running near the plains, and stepped into a trap... a human trap! **
** On the High One's Palace! Is she okay? **
** Yeah, she's fine. Treehopper took her to Raintail. ** Windarcher nodded slowly. His dam, Raintail, was the tribe's new healer. The boys stopped sending as they neared the holt. The whole tribe was slowly gathering into the clearing around the mother tree.
Singtree stood atop a large rock that supported the mother tree, looking like the proud and noble chief he was. His long, arrow straight chestnut hair slapped at the growling wind behind him as it harassed his chief's tie. Next to him, on his right, was Treehopper. The trouble-maker had his hands squared on his hips, but was drunk on dreamberries, and swaying.
** What happened between Treehopper, Cloudwater and the humans today, was a secret, so I assume the whole tribe knows. ** A few light chuckles floated from the wall of elves. ** I was not planning on telling you, but somehow, it got out.. ** Singtree looked over at Treehopper sternly. Windarcher's careless, drunk sire was too busy flirting with two blonde haired elves to notice the chief. ** I have already made a decision, and will not be persuaded. We are going to lay low, and not start anything, we're going to leave them be. ** The chief was cut off by a swarm of angry sendings. He howled, and clamped his hands over his ears to try and block them out. ** STOP IT! ** He cried, shaking his head violently. The forest itself seemed to obey the agonizing send. His red-headed lifemate, Silentgrass, who was very large with cub, ran up and grasped his lowering hands.
~** She's much too worrisome. **~ Windarcher locksent to Firestorm and Shadowsmile.
~** It's all her fault he's softening up! I bet she convinced him to do this! **~ Shadowsmile's angry locksend pierced the minds of both Windarcher and Firestorm. The trio of cubs were, sort of, listening to Singtree's new rules. It was something about not leaving the holt alone, staying fairy quiet, and about not letting the humans see them, and not going near the humans..
~** We should do something about this... and soon. **~ Windarcher and Firestorm exchanged pained and worried looks as Shadowsmile's send gnawed at their minds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"YARF!" Windarcher looked over at Strifeclimber, happy to have been brought out of his memories. The ashen fox wobbled over, and curled up against the elf's chest as they fell asleep.
"Rrrrr," The loner moved his gaze from the fire to his right. His bond-fox, Strifeclimber, was moaning in his sleep. Windarcher watched with bittersweet eyes as the fox's three legs twitched against the ground as if he were running.
'He's not very old,' Windarcher thought to himself, 'but he's probably suffered more than any other his age.'
As Strifeclimber's tongue came rolling out of his narrow muzzle, his elfin friend slipped into a state of painful reminiscence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Come on, pup!" Shadowsmile cooed as she slipped into an underbrush.
"I'm only a few turns younger, Shadowsmile!" The white haired elf watched as his female play-mate vanished, taking her tall and slender cream form, unruly brown curls, and dazzling purple eyes with her.
With a chuckle, the youngest elf in the tribe leapt up, grabbed hold of an oak branch, and swung himself gracefully into a sea of green.
** Windarcher.. ** The send was sing-songy. ** I see you! ** Windarcher spun quickly, his off-white, ruffled shirt tossed about. He pierced the leaves with fiery-orange eyes. He watched as a shadow's eyes opened to reveal bright and violet shards. The eyes bounced with the shadow's giggles.
"You're too good at this game!" The pretty elf giggled as she stepped out in front of him. Windarcher smiled. Though he had only lived through thirteen turns of the seasons, he was his sire's cub. He traced his eyes over the liquid smooth curves of Shadowsmile's body. Her short olive green skirt and low-cut, mid-drift cream shirt brought out some of her best features. Including her mischievous, grinning purple eyes that helped her earn her name.
"Windarcher! S-shadowsmile!" The duo turned as Firestorm jumped over a log and stumbled towards them while regaining his balance. Firestorm was only a day or so older then Windarcher, and they were close enough to be called soulbrothers. Firestorm's bright auburn hair was not the only trait adding to his name, his unpredictable temper added to his charming personality. Windarcher smiled as Firestorm's sparkling green eyes met his.
"What are you yelling about?" Shadowsmile said smirking. Firestorm looked up at her.
"Singtree's called a-a p-pack me-e-eting!" He huffed.
"A pack meeting!" Shadowsmile shrieked in delight.
"Yeah, all because of Windarcher's sire!" Firestorm reached out and rustled Windarcher's mane. The white haired elf started to reach up and smack his hand away, but he'd dealt with it before. He crossed his arms over his chest, and looked at Firestorm with one eyebrow raised. The other elf stopped, and flashed one of his award-winning smiles. Windarcher's mane was now tossed and stuck out at odd angles.
"Well, let's not keep 'em waiting!" Shadowsmile called as she turned, leapt over the same log Firestorm had, and vanished.
** So what'd my sire do this time? **
** You know Treehopper, always in trouble! ** The two elves turned to sending to save their breath. ** He and Cloudwater were running near the plains, and stepped into a trap... a human trap! **
** On the High One's Palace! Is she okay? **
** Yeah, she's fine. Treehopper took her to Raintail. ** Windarcher nodded slowly. His dam, Raintail, was the tribe's new healer. The boys stopped sending as they neared the holt. The whole tribe was slowly gathering into the clearing around the mother tree.
Singtree stood atop a large rock that supported the mother tree, looking like the proud and noble chief he was. His long, arrow straight chestnut hair slapped at the growling wind behind him as it harassed his chief's tie. Next to him, on his right, was Treehopper. The trouble-maker had his hands squared on his hips, but was drunk on dreamberries, and swaying.
** What happened between Treehopper, Cloudwater and the humans today, was a secret, so I assume the whole tribe knows. ** A few light chuckles floated from the wall of elves. ** I was not planning on telling you, but somehow, it got out.. ** Singtree looked over at Treehopper sternly. Windarcher's careless, drunk sire was too busy flirting with two blonde haired elves to notice the chief. ** I have already made a decision, and will not be persuaded. We are going to lay low, and not start anything, we're going to leave them be. ** The chief was cut off by a swarm of angry sendings. He howled, and clamped his hands over his ears to try and block them out. ** STOP IT! ** He cried, shaking his head violently. The forest itself seemed to obey the agonizing send. His red-headed lifemate, Silentgrass, who was very large with cub, ran up and grasped his lowering hands.
~** She's much too worrisome. **~ Windarcher locksent to Firestorm and Shadowsmile.
~** It's all her fault he's softening up! I bet she convinced him to do this! **~ Shadowsmile's angry locksend pierced the minds of both Windarcher and Firestorm. The trio of cubs were, sort of, listening to Singtree's new rules. It was something about not leaving the holt alone, staying fairy quiet, and about not letting the humans see them, and not going near the humans..
~** We should do something about this... and soon. **~ Windarcher and Firestorm exchanged pained and worried looks as Shadowsmile's send gnawed at their minds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"YARF!" Windarcher looked over at Strifeclimber, happy to have been brought out of his memories. The ashen fox wobbled over, and curled up against the elf's chest as they fell asleep.