None of the characters are mine, except for Two-Moons. All the rest belong to their creators, Wendy and Richard Pini.
Words contained within # # are mental speech since doesn't like showing the stars I prefer to use.
Takes place 31 years before Fire and Flight. Eyes High is soon to give birth and Two-Moons worries about her being so far away from the father tree at this time. She decides to do something about it.
Two-Moons sighed unhappily as she lay in her den, thinking uneasily of the past few days. Her mother, Eyes High, heavy with a cub that was now overdue to be born, had somehow come to the conclusion that she needed to give birth way up high in a tree - to come as close to the stars as she possibly could, had been her words.
Remembering Crescent's death from three turns ago, Two-Moons had been afraid for her mother, going off to be alone to wait for the cub's arrival. But she hadn't tried to tell her mother of her fears - as much as her limited communicative hand signals would allow, anyway.
Hopefully the cub would be born soon and Eyes High could come back to the father tree where it was safe.
"More food for your lifemate, Shale!"
At the sound of chief Bearclaw's voice, Two-Moons got up and crawled to the entrance of her den to listen further.
"Eyes High is so heavy with cub now, she'll eat and fall right through the bottom of her nest!"
"Well... atleast the wind's not likely to blow her away," Shale replied with a short laugh, scratching the back of his head.
"She's days overdue. Can't you persuade her to return to the holt, Shale?" Joyleaf asked.
Two-Moons, unseen inside her den, nodded once.
Bearclaw laughed. "Joyleaf thinks you have some say in the matter, lad!"
Shale sighed. "You know how it is. Eyes HIgh is Eyes High."
Two-Moons turned away from the entrance of her den and paid little attention to the rest of the conversation. She felt a sudden restlessness within her, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.
Spotting her bow and quiver of arrows leaning up against the opposite wall of her den, Two-Moons went over and grabbed them up. She returned to the entrance and peeked her head outside. After checking to make sure that no one was looking her way, she carefully climbed down the tree and snuck off into the dense woodlands that surrounded the father tree. She found a place to sit and wait for a few moments to make sure that no one had noticed her leave and tried to follow her. Once satisfied that she had gotten away unnoticed, Two-Moons stood and made a wide circle around the father tree until she picked up Shale's trail.
Neither Shale not his wolf realized that they were being followed by Two-Moons. She, of all the Wolfriders, could move most silently through the forest. Perhaps it was because of her inabiloity to speak or send, though no one could say for certain if this was so.
Once Shale reached tallest tree, he slid off his wolf's back and looked up at the branches of the tallest tree. Smiling, he began to climb, unaware of the two young human boys who watched his progress from a nearby tree.
Two-Moons arrived soon after Shale. Her parents' two wolves watched her approach quietly - they knew her well and knew that she posed no threat to either Shale or Eyes High. She gave each a quick pet and started to climb the tree after Shale.
Higher up the tree, Shale was nearing the top. #Beloved!#
Eyes High leaned over the side of her nest to peer down at Shale. #Good! We're starving!#
#If I can't keep both of you fed now...# Shale paused as he pulled himself onto a branch just an elf's height below the nest. #...how much worse will it be when Skywise is out here!#
#We'll know before dawn, Shale,# Eyes High said as Shale removed the pack from his back and placed it off to one side. #I've decided you may stay, if you wish.#
Shale lowered his head to Eyes High's belly and huged her from this slightly awkward position. She put one hand on his back and the other on the back of his head.
#If I wish! You know its what I want, more than anything!#
Eyes High looked up to the sky. #I've always liked being alone... but not now.#
#Thank you...#
Suddenly and unexpectedly, large fist-sized rocks began sailing through the air over the nest.
Below, Two-Moons froze in her climb as she saw the rocks flying and felt the panic of both her parents inside her mind. It quickly dawned on her that humans must have somehow found the nest. Hearing Eyes High cry out sharply snapped her out of her frozen state. Arming herself quickly with her bow and an arrow, she set her eyes to searching the other tree. Pinpointing quickly where the rocks were flying from, she took aim, said a quick prayer that her arrow would fly true, then let it fly. A moment later there was a sharp cry of pain.
Two-Moons had no time to celebrate her small victory. Something heavy crashed through the branches above her - her father, Shale, had fallen from the nest, no doubt having been knocked out of it by one of the rocks. There was no time to think, only to act. Two-Moons dropped her bow and reached a hand out to catch Shale as his body fell past her.
Now Two-Moons, at eight and four turns old, was not a fully-grown elf and - as a consequence - her strength was not fully developed, either. Shale's weight, combined with the force of his fall, pulled Two-Moons right off the branch with him. They fell freely for a moment, then Two-Moons's chest struck a branch. Pain exploded within her young body and for a moment she couldn't breathe.
When she could finally draw a breath, Two-Moons realized that she still had a grip on one of Shale's legs. Looking down, she realized that Shale wasn't moving. She tried to nudge him with one of her own feet to wake him, but it was to no avail. Looking up, she saw her mother climbing down, but Eyes High was still a fair distance up the tree and Two-Moons was having trouble keeping her grip. Shale was so heavy... Shaking with the effort she was expending, Two-Moons closed her eyes and prayed for help. She couldn't fail! Not when Shale's life depended upon her!
Something within Two-Moons's mind snapped at that very instant. The floodgates to a forgotten ability opened and rushed out, screaming into her mind and beyond. Just below her, Shale suddenly jerked awake, screaming in agony and clutching his head with his right hand.
Father, please! Skyfire thought desperately with all her might. Please! I can't hold on!
Shale stopped and looked up at Two-Moons in shock. Not a moment too soon! Shale's leg slipped from Two-Moons's aching hand.
Shale flipped his body quickly in mid-air and used his right hand to grab a branch to stop his fall. His left arm, which had struck two thick branches following his fall from the nest, hung broken and useless at his side.
Eyes High reached Two-Moons a moment later and helped her up onto the branch to straddle it. #Foolish cub, you should not be here!# she admonished gently before hugging her daughter. They quickly parted and moved below to help Shale climb down from the tree.
Once Two-Moons's feet touched the ground, she picked up her bow. A rock wizzed by her face, barely missing her. She looked up in surprise to find the two young human boys that had attacked her family. One had her arrow running through the fleshy upper part of his right arm and was clearly in agony. The other wore a fierce expression as he picked out another rock from the large sling he carried around his neck. Two-Moons grabbed an arrow from the quiver still slung across her back and fired it at the boy holding the rock without hesitation. She watched long enough to see where her arrow stuck - below his left shoulder, near the lung - before Eyes High grabbed her arm and pulled her over toward where the two anxious wolves waited. It was not the two boys that had them stirred up - though it was a contributing factor - but rather the scent of several approaching humans.
Two-Moons got up behind Shale and placed her arms around his waist. The family raced away on the backs of the swift wolves, leaving the small clearing just im time. A group of several large male humans had just arrived, having come in search of the two missing boys. They tried to give chase, but the wolves were too fast and soon outpaced them.
When the three elves and two wolves arrived back at the father tree, the rest of the tribe acted quickly. A small group went out to conceal the evidence of the family's hasty flight through the forest.
Rain moved to Eyes High's side first while others helped Shale and Two-Moons down from the back of the other wolf.
"No, I am fine!" Eyes High said sharply, pushing Rain away from her. "My time is upon me, is all. Help my lifemate and daughter."
Rain nodded unhappily and moved off. Joyleaf and Clearbrook moved in to take his place.
"Do you want to go to your den?" Joyleaf asked.
Eyes High shook her head. "No. I can't birth Skywise as close to the stars as I would like, but he or she will still be born under the stars."
They walked her over to the father tree and helped her to sit so that she could lean her back against the tree.
Eyes High turned her gaze to her lifemate and daughter. Rain was healing Two-Moons first, even though her injuries were less severe than Shale's. Shale had insisted upon this, though Rain would have preferred to at least heal Shale's arm first.
Rainsong came and knelt by Eyes High's side, carrying a new piece of deer hide. "Let's have a look, shall we?" she asked, folding the deer hide and it on the ground nearby. She then placed a hand on Eyes High's knee.
Eyes High grabbed Rainsong's wrist. "I want Two-Moons to attend me," she said firmly.
If Rainsong was surprised or hurt by Eyes High's words, she didn't show it. Two-Moons was another matter. Free now of Rain's healing touch, she looked to her mother with ill-concealed surprise.
Eyes High smiled reassuringly at Two-Moons and beckoned her closer.
Two-Moons moved slowly. She took Eyes High's offered hand and knelt next to her, looking with worry at her mother. What if she did something wrong and hurt her little brother or sister?
Eyes High seemd to know of her daughter's fears. She cupped a hand under Two-Moons's chin. "Do not worry, daughter. There is nothing to this. You just catch the cub in the deer hide. You can do this!"
Two-Moons took a deep breath and nodded. If Eyes High believed that she could do this, then she would most certainly do her best to try.
Eyes High spread her legs and motioned Two-Moons to kneel between them. As Two-Moons moved into position, Eyes High pulled her clothing out of the way. Rainsong unfolded the deer hide and handed it to Two-Moons.
The next few minutes passed in a blur for Two-Moons. The cub moved smoothly from his mother's womb into his sister's waiting hands.
Skywise cried lustily and shook his tiny fists. If Two-Moons didn't know better, she'd swear that he was voicing his anger over being denied his promised birthing spot. Trying to control her trembling, she raised her new brother for a closer look. #Happy birthday, Skywise.# She didn't realize that she had just sent to him.
Just as Two-Moons was about to hand Skywise to Eyes High, he stopped cryiing and looked up into her eyes. She stared down into his and an instant connection was made.
#Fahr.#
#Nimh.#
Shaken to her core, she looked to Eyes High. #I have his soul name...#
It was Eyes High's turn to be surprised as she heard Two-Moons's voice inside her mind for the very first time.
"Two-Moons... Daughter, you sent to me!" Eyes High said with awe.
Shale, waiting impatiently for Rain to finish healing him, remembered that moment back up in the tree when he'd woken from his unconscious state to find himself hanging upside down in his daughter's grip. He'd thought he'd imagined what had called him to awaken, but now he knew he hadn't imagined it after all - two sends, the first full of raw emotion so strong that his head felt as if it had been split by an axe, and the second, a tender plea.
Two-Moons started to cry as she placed Skywise on Eyes High's belly. She just felt so overwhelmed, as if everything was hitting her all at once. A close brush with death, shooting two humans with her bow, a race to escape further danger, catching her brother, somehow exchanging soul names with him - for it wasn't Recognition (or at least not the kind that led to having a cub) - and then spontaneously regaining the ability to send.
Yes, quite a highly-charged emotional day.
Two-Moons did something then that she had been waiting and wishing to be able to do for several turns now - she told Shale and Eyes High that she loved them both.