An ELFQUEST story
By: Cleresta
Disclaimer: I do not own Elfquest (although I wish I did but I am not that talented) Wendy and Richard Pini own Elfquest
Summary: New enemy with New Elves that need our favorite Elves from Elfquest's help
Note: this is my first story please be nice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sun Village
He tossed and turned in his furs as the images of his dreams haunted him. Something no someone was calling him. There in the mist by that tree, he turned quickly running as fast as he could but he could still only see its shadow. Suddenly the forest around him went silent completely silent. He couldn't even hear the sound of his own heavy breathing. The silence stretched growing more eerie and yet completely deafening as each second passed. Suddenly the voice called again startling him in the sudden silence "Help Us please somebody help us" it was soft and yet sounded as if it were one voice splintering into many. "Who are you? What do you need?" he cried out as he spotted the shadow once more and started after it. But still no matter how desperately he tried to catch the shadow it still managed to elude him. Then without warning had bolted upward throwing off his furs gasping for breath as if he had run in truth instead of his dreams the cry for help still echoing in his ears.
The sun was rising announcing another day in the Sun Village as Suntop stumbled up a near by mountain. There he sat for sometime trying to figure out his dream. Was it real? Or was he merely longing for yet another adventure? Suddenly a hand on his shoulder startled him. Quickly he turned and looked into the face of Winkin hovering slightly beside him.
"Do you want something?" He sent. Angry that he had been so involved in his thoughts that he had failed to note the magic of Winkin's approach. But Winkin merely smiled and sat down next to him.
"What are you doing here?" He demanded again as he watched him looking out across the desert his hair tangling and untangling in the breeze.
He didn't answer at once, but observed him from the corner of his eye. He had been right. He looked quite confused. "I talked to Sun Toucher."
"Sun Toucher," he snorted, "always knowing everyone's life."
"Well what do you expect? What with everything that has happened for the most part recently? I would have told him that he is just being overly concerned but Sun Toucher isn't the only one who has noticed. Even the most unobservant has noticed changes in you. Most common observation is that you no longer are sleeping well. "So, you still don't want to tell me what's wrong?"
Suntop sighed knowing it was useless to try and argue." it started moons ago. At first there was nothing at all just mist and me. The mist was so thick that you could barely see your own hand in front of your face. Then slowly over time the mist lessened until you could make out a forest, it could be any forest but something tells me that it is a forest that no wolfrider or Villager has ever been to. How do I know this? I have often questioned but I can simply say that it's true. I have ignored the dreams because they stopped there for a while simply repeating the same place and no matter how hard I tried to explore I never seemed to leave the same spot. Then about three days ago the dream changed again I could move and I saw a shadow but I never caught it then I would stop for no reason. After that it is as if everything went silent including my heavy breathing and I would hear a voice calling for help. Then I'd wake up feeling as if I just ran from the Father tree back to the sun Village." Windkin had been silent the entire time and it was making him nervous. " Was it real, Winkin? Or do you think that I merely want another adventure?" Suntop asked quickly trying to break the silence. Winkin didn't seem to notice how nervous Suntop was becoming. Winkin had sat quietly listening to Suntop describe his dream trying to take in all of its possible meanings.
"Life is never easy, you know?" Winkin said softly to himself even though Suntop overheard and hung his head.
"You don't think it's just a dream do you?" he asked just as softly.
Winkin slowly turned his head to look at his young cousin "No I don't"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She ran thought the forest quickly, quietly barely stirring a leaf to mark her passing. THEY were coming and there were precious few of her people left. But the worst thing was yet to come. As she neared a tree her sharp eyes picked out two shadowed figures guarding the entrance of their new underground home.
**Any signs? ** She sent quickly knowing that THEY might hear her but still sending was safer than speaking in an open forest.
**None as of yet** came the equally swift reply.
She nodded satisfied and stepped through the bushes to the entrance. She was helped inside and greeted warmly by all that she passed despite the fact that she didn't linger in any of the comfortable chambers filled with furs, food, and merriment. She smiled as she quickly observed it as she passed one cave. Her people had been driven out of their homes, hunted, and forced underground living in constant fear but knowing that there was nothing they could do to change that and still they had fun, still they danced for death, life, and for the joy of it. As she neared a chamber far away for the others she stopped to calm herself knowing that the reactions to her news would not be taken well but still she hoped that the elders would still hold onto hope.
She stood there hovering at the entrance of the chambers waiting for the elders to call her.
"Come in Child" A gravely voice called. It was Mentu the ancient healer. He was a sweet old elf but had quickly begun to look his age when THE HUNT had started. She tired to smile to him but failed the news she bore was too grave too serious.
"What news have you?" A gruff voice asked from her left side. She immediately looked at the elder that had spoken. It was Telta. Telta was the only female elder; she had also suffered the most. Since THE HUNT she had not only lost her life mate but her daughter and grandchild as well. Those three were amongst the few that they knew were actually dead and not taken.
She hung her head unable to hold the elder's eyes a minute longer. "The majority of our people are captives what THEY call salves. They are forced to serve THEM or be severely punished." Several elders gasped in horror but only one spoke the question on all of their minds.
" Punished how?" It was Brith the rock shaper.
"They are starved, caged and beaten severely. If that fails then THEY use a method called 'sleep deprivation'. This is when they will not allow our people to sleep or even entire a trance like state."
A gasp echoed behind her. She turned to see her friend Arrow Song standing there with horror and disbelief filling her gray eyes. "Arrow..." she started before being interrupted by Setria, the life mate of Brith as she hurried up behind Arrow Song.
"Thousand pardons elders I was just gone for a minute and like sky fire she's gone. Arrow, you know your not allowed out of bed yet." Setria said as she busily tried to push Arrow Song out of the chamber.
As she turned back to the elders she found them watching her closely.
"Seeker.... normally I would not ask this of you but have you found a solution to our situation?" Mentu asked the lines on his ancient face clearly showing his concern for their situation and his sorrow for forcing this burden on one, as he viewed it, so young. She sighed not for the first time. Her name was Seeker, named after her ability to find almost anything that she had want or need of often not understanding exactly what she had found. But still as she had as of yet little to no control over her ability it was hard to be specific of what she desired. But still she tried even if the answer made no sense.
"I think so elder. But I do not understand. This answer came as a dream instead of me finding my way to it. In this dream I am standing in a forest unlike any I have seen attempting to contact someone by a sending but suddenly a fierce mist like none that I have ever seen I can not see my own hands nor can I find the one I am searching for. Then as the dream ends I see a sudden flash of light, the sun I think, and see a vast desert with a mountain ridge in the middle. It is not Song's Haven."
Silence filled the chamber as the elders muddled through the dream trying to find rhythm and reason to it.
"Perhaps this dream tells us to leave our ancient home for places unknown. After all a different forest and a desert are places we can flee to." Mentu said thoughtfully.
"Leave our home? The place where we have watched friends and loved ones grow and live for countless turns?" Tetla snapped at Mentu.
"Perhaps the dream means that the answer is not here and we can not get to it but they can come here." Brith said before an argument could start. Upon hearing Brith's idea both elders stopped and thought about it before sighing. Any of them could be right and all of them could be wrong. The elders looked at Seeker and sighed "tell us if you have anything new to add."
Seeker nodded and left the chamber thinking softly to herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howling Rock: two days later
She had dreamt again. It was always the same, she was in a forest and the darkness of the night hung heavily in the air. Something was out there. Watching. Waiting. Hunting. Her. Suddenly in became too much so she sprang from her hiding place to run. Hoping desperately that she would out run the hunter but knowing deep down that it was futile. She leaped over bushes dodged trees. Her nimble feet making only a little sound on the forest floor while her blood pounded loudly in her ears. Then the worst thing that could happen happened. A Dead End. It was a solid rock wall taller than most trees but sheer so she would be unable to climb. It was then that she noticed the bones.... the many bones all noticeable elven bones littering the area before the wall. It was a trap. But even as she whirled to turn around the Hunters where there and a spear flew through the air towards her in ever so slowly. But she could not move. She stood there horror and realization slowly flickering on her features as she watched the spear hurtle towards her. And just the spear reached her she awoke with a start. In had changed tonight. The dream had not ended. It only started again with minor changes and no matter how hard she tried or which path she took she always ended up at that high one's cursed wall again. It was time to find help and as childhood memory flickered through her, Ember went to seek out Pike, the Keeper of Dreams.
**Pike? ** She sent into his den. She had woken him up as she had expected it being barely dawn.
**Yes? ** Came the sleepy reply.
**Can I talk with you? **Was her hesitant answer to his reply. Suddenly she was embarrassed over her senseless dreams but knew that senseless or not she had to tell someone and High One's knew Teir and Mender were not the elves for the job.
His tone was alert with curiosity when he replied. **Of course give me a minute and we'll walk. ** After he exited his den and they had been walking for a while. She finally got to the problem of her dreams. And told Pike everything. At first Pike hadn't said anything but not for long. "There is the possibility that your dreams are a reflection of some hidden fears that you have as our space in this world is getting smaller and smaller and the humans as well as others still fear us and will hunt us. Or it could be something else entirely. Perhaps you should talk this over with Savah, Tammain, or even Suntop. But remember dreams do not always happen here and now." His tone was apologetic that he could not help his young chieftess but also held a hint of concern as if the dream meant more than what he had let on but Ember did not question it as she watched the sun rise over the horizon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please R&R
By: Cleresta
Disclaimer: I do not own Elfquest (although I wish I did but I am not that talented) Wendy and Richard Pini own Elfquest
Summary: New enemy with New Elves that need our favorite Elves from Elfquest's help
Note: this is my first story please be nice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sun Village
He tossed and turned in his furs as the images of his dreams haunted him. Something no someone was calling him. There in the mist by that tree, he turned quickly running as fast as he could but he could still only see its shadow. Suddenly the forest around him went silent completely silent. He couldn't even hear the sound of his own heavy breathing. The silence stretched growing more eerie and yet completely deafening as each second passed. Suddenly the voice called again startling him in the sudden silence "Help Us please somebody help us" it was soft and yet sounded as if it were one voice splintering into many. "Who are you? What do you need?" he cried out as he spotted the shadow once more and started after it. But still no matter how desperately he tried to catch the shadow it still managed to elude him. Then without warning had bolted upward throwing off his furs gasping for breath as if he had run in truth instead of his dreams the cry for help still echoing in his ears.
The sun was rising announcing another day in the Sun Village as Suntop stumbled up a near by mountain. There he sat for sometime trying to figure out his dream. Was it real? Or was he merely longing for yet another adventure? Suddenly a hand on his shoulder startled him. Quickly he turned and looked into the face of Winkin hovering slightly beside him.
"Do you want something?" He sent. Angry that he had been so involved in his thoughts that he had failed to note the magic of Winkin's approach. But Winkin merely smiled and sat down next to him.
"What are you doing here?" He demanded again as he watched him looking out across the desert his hair tangling and untangling in the breeze.
He didn't answer at once, but observed him from the corner of his eye. He had been right. He looked quite confused. "I talked to Sun Toucher."
"Sun Toucher," he snorted, "always knowing everyone's life."
"Well what do you expect? What with everything that has happened for the most part recently? I would have told him that he is just being overly concerned but Sun Toucher isn't the only one who has noticed. Even the most unobservant has noticed changes in you. Most common observation is that you no longer are sleeping well. "So, you still don't want to tell me what's wrong?"
Suntop sighed knowing it was useless to try and argue." it started moons ago. At first there was nothing at all just mist and me. The mist was so thick that you could barely see your own hand in front of your face. Then slowly over time the mist lessened until you could make out a forest, it could be any forest but something tells me that it is a forest that no wolfrider or Villager has ever been to. How do I know this? I have often questioned but I can simply say that it's true. I have ignored the dreams because they stopped there for a while simply repeating the same place and no matter how hard I tried to explore I never seemed to leave the same spot. Then about three days ago the dream changed again I could move and I saw a shadow but I never caught it then I would stop for no reason. After that it is as if everything went silent including my heavy breathing and I would hear a voice calling for help. Then I'd wake up feeling as if I just ran from the Father tree back to the sun Village." Windkin had been silent the entire time and it was making him nervous. " Was it real, Winkin? Or do you think that I merely want another adventure?" Suntop asked quickly trying to break the silence. Winkin didn't seem to notice how nervous Suntop was becoming. Winkin had sat quietly listening to Suntop describe his dream trying to take in all of its possible meanings.
"Life is never easy, you know?" Winkin said softly to himself even though Suntop overheard and hung his head.
"You don't think it's just a dream do you?" he asked just as softly.
Winkin slowly turned his head to look at his young cousin "No I don't"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She ran thought the forest quickly, quietly barely stirring a leaf to mark her passing. THEY were coming and there were precious few of her people left. But the worst thing was yet to come. As she neared a tree her sharp eyes picked out two shadowed figures guarding the entrance of their new underground home.
**Any signs? ** She sent quickly knowing that THEY might hear her but still sending was safer than speaking in an open forest.
**None as of yet** came the equally swift reply.
She nodded satisfied and stepped through the bushes to the entrance. She was helped inside and greeted warmly by all that she passed despite the fact that she didn't linger in any of the comfortable chambers filled with furs, food, and merriment. She smiled as she quickly observed it as she passed one cave. Her people had been driven out of their homes, hunted, and forced underground living in constant fear but knowing that there was nothing they could do to change that and still they had fun, still they danced for death, life, and for the joy of it. As she neared a chamber far away for the others she stopped to calm herself knowing that the reactions to her news would not be taken well but still she hoped that the elders would still hold onto hope.
She stood there hovering at the entrance of the chambers waiting for the elders to call her.
"Come in Child" A gravely voice called. It was Mentu the ancient healer. He was a sweet old elf but had quickly begun to look his age when THE HUNT had started. She tired to smile to him but failed the news she bore was too grave too serious.
"What news have you?" A gruff voice asked from her left side. She immediately looked at the elder that had spoken. It was Telta. Telta was the only female elder; she had also suffered the most. Since THE HUNT she had not only lost her life mate but her daughter and grandchild as well. Those three were amongst the few that they knew were actually dead and not taken.
She hung her head unable to hold the elder's eyes a minute longer. "The majority of our people are captives what THEY call salves. They are forced to serve THEM or be severely punished." Several elders gasped in horror but only one spoke the question on all of their minds.
" Punished how?" It was Brith the rock shaper.
"They are starved, caged and beaten severely. If that fails then THEY use a method called 'sleep deprivation'. This is when they will not allow our people to sleep or even entire a trance like state."
A gasp echoed behind her. She turned to see her friend Arrow Song standing there with horror and disbelief filling her gray eyes. "Arrow..." she started before being interrupted by Setria, the life mate of Brith as she hurried up behind Arrow Song.
"Thousand pardons elders I was just gone for a minute and like sky fire she's gone. Arrow, you know your not allowed out of bed yet." Setria said as she busily tried to push Arrow Song out of the chamber.
As she turned back to the elders she found them watching her closely.
"Seeker.... normally I would not ask this of you but have you found a solution to our situation?" Mentu asked the lines on his ancient face clearly showing his concern for their situation and his sorrow for forcing this burden on one, as he viewed it, so young. She sighed not for the first time. Her name was Seeker, named after her ability to find almost anything that she had want or need of often not understanding exactly what she had found. But still as she had as of yet little to no control over her ability it was hard to be specific of what she desired. But still she tried even if the answer made no sense.
"I think so elder. But I do not understand. This answer came as a dream instead of me finding my way to it. In this dream I am standing in a forest unlike any I have seen attempting to contact someone by a sending but suddenly a fierce mist like none that I have ever seen I can not see my own hands nor can I find the one I am searching for. Then as the dream ends I see a sudden flash of light, the sun I think, and see a vast desert with a mountain ridge in the middle. It is not Song's Haven."
Silence filled the chamber as the elders muddled through the dream trying to find rhythm and reason to it.
"Perhaps this dream tells us to leave our ancient home for places unknown. After all a different forest and a desert are places we can flee to." Mentu said thoughtfully.
"Leave our home? The place where we have watched friends and loved ones grow and live for countless turns?" Tetla snapped at Mentu.
"Perhaps the dream means that the answer is not here and we can not get to it but they can come here." Brith said before an argument could start. Upon hearing Brith's idea both elders stopped and thought about it before sighing. Any of them could be right and all of them could be wrong. The elders looked at Seeker and sighed "tell us if you have anything new to add."
Seeker nodded and left the chamber thinking softly to herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howling Rock: two days later
She had dreamt again. It was always the same, she was in a forest and the darkness of the night hung heavily in the air. Something was out there. Watching. Waiting. Hunting. Her. Suddenly in became too much so she sprang from her hiding place to run. Hoping desperately that she would out run the hunter but knowing deep down that it was futile. She leaped over bushes dodged trees. Her nimble feet making only a little sound on the forest floor while her blood pounded loudly in her ears. Then the worst thing that could happen happened. A Dead End. It was a solid rock wall taller than most trees but sheer so she would be unable to climb. It was then that she noticed the bones.... the many bones all noticeable elven bones littering the area before the wall. It was a trap. But even as she whirled to turn around the Hunters where there and a spear flew through the air towards her in ever so slowly. But she could not move. She stood there horror and realization slowly flickering on her features as she watched the spear hurtle towards her. And just the spear reached her she awoke with a start. In had changed tonight. The dream had not ended. It only started again with minor changes and no matter how hard she tried or which path she took she always ended up at that high one's cursed wall again. It was time to find help and as childhood memory flickered through her, Ember went to seek out Pike, the Keeper of Dreams.
**Pike? ** She sent into his den. She had woken him up as she had expected it being barely dawn.
**Yes? ** Came the sleepy reply.
**Can I talk with you? **Was her hesitant answer to his reply. Suddenly she was embarrassed over her senseless dreams but knew that senseless or not she had to tell someone and High One's knew Teir and Mender were not the elves for the job.
His tone was alert with curiosity when he replied. **Of course give me a minute and we'll walk. ** After he exited his den and they had been walking for a while. She finally got to the problem of her dreams. And told Pike everything. At first Pike hadn't said anything but not for long. "There is the possibility that your dreams are a reflection of some hidden fears that you have as our space in this world is getting smaller and smaller and the humans as well as others still fear us and will hunt us. Or it could be something else entirely. Perhaps you should talk this over with Savah, Tammain, or even Suntop. But remember dreams do not always happen here and now." His tone was apologetic that he could not help his young chieftess but also held a hint of concern as if the dream meant more than what he had let on but Ember did not question it as she watched the sun rise over the horizon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please R&R