Ebony's Weavings:
Chapter One
From the Beginning
by: Yuuki Miyaka
Finding a small clearing with good brush around it, the elf thought she might be able to hide from the humans and rest. If they were to find her now, she would have no chance of escape. She crouched in the dank bushes, placing her daughter in a large hole she found buried within a giant tree. It was the best she could do. The child, seeming to understand, said nothing, but merely tossed her night-black hair and scrambled up until she was invisible.
And then the humans were upon the clearing, and they could see the elven woman. It wasn't hard for them to catch her, and they laughed cruelly as they slaughtered her. To the end, the elf kept the vision of her daughter in the forefront of her mind, desperate to escape the pain at least.
The child, somehow able to see what was going on, screamed. It was a low, primeval echo, calling out her mother's name. "Memory . . . ." She did not even notice when another elf came to her rescue.
The new elf seemed almost demonic. Perhaps it was the near-insane glint in his eyes or the amazing way he wielded his sword. For whatever reason, he managed to take the three humans by surprise and the two he didn't kill he ran off. The light of vengeance died from his eyes, and the child was able to reassess her first impression.
He was not too much older than she, by her reckoning. His white hair and grey eyes gave him an almost washed out, albino look, and he seemed like something from the skies, all blue and grey. His face was made for smiling, and now he did so, trying to coax her out of the tree she was hiding in.
She came to him, not understanding just why she trusted him, but knowing that she did so. And he pulled her up onto the great, hairy beast he was riding, and set off. Soon, they came to another clearing, this one filled with elves. The star-elf set her down in front of a large, dark elf, one who could (and did) make her cower in fear. The dark elf, in his turn, was next to an elf that reminded the child of happiness, tenderness, and sunshine. Her hair was golden, and her face was gentle.
The dark one spoke, his voice low and commanding. "What is this cub doing here? Where did you find her, Skywise?" The star-elf sighed.
"I found her in the forest, along with another elf. I wasn't in time to save that one."
At this, the golden elf nodded, and said briskly, "You'll have to find her a place to stay." And then she turned to the child before her. "Do you have a name, cub?"
The child tried to speak three times before her voice could be heard over her fear. "I was known as Firetemper."
The golden one nodded again, then spoke once more. "You are welcome to our tribe, Firetemper. The one who saved you is Skywise, I am Joyleaf, and this is my lifemate and chief, Bearclaw. Stay with us until we find your tribe."
But they never did find her tribe. And eventually Firetemper became one of the Wolfriders in her own right. But those tales are for another day.
Author's notes:
Just so you know, Firetemper is the cub name for Ebony. I will continue the stories of Ebony as time passes and permits in a series called ElfQuest: Ebony's Weavings. Feel free to share this story with your friends if you like it or think they would. Just remember to give credit to Wendy and Richard Pini, and to me! Thanks!!
Chapter Two
Horrible Memories
Firetemper awoke the next evening to a rumbling within her belly. It was easy enough to understand what her body was craving. She'd had no real nourishment for three days now, and it was fast becoming four days. If she didn't get something soon, her mother would have died for nothing.
And then the memory returned. Her mother, dead at the hands of the humans. There was no real anger at the moment. That would come later. Right now, there was soul-searing grief that took her hunger and twisted it to nausea. Perhaps it would be best if she ate nothing after all.
She burrowed deeper into the furs provided by the elf that had saved her. Skywise was his name, and he'd been very gentle with her, careful, as though she might break. But if she hadn't by this point, she would probably not break now. She may be a cub, but she understood death and dying, and all that such things entailed. Perhaps she'd grown up a little faster than other cubs, but that didn't matter anymore. Her tribe was gone. Though Memory had tried to shield her eyes from the carnage the humans had wreaked, Firetemper had seen enough. If any of her tribemates did still live, she would be surprised. And they didn't have the Memorykeeper any longer to remember the history, or even those who had just died.
Her heart chilled, and those sleeping near her shivered. That chill had stolen out of her body to infect the elves near her, to keep them awake and heart-cold. The memory of the carnage stole into their dreams as well, horrifying each elf in turn throughout the tribe.
Finally, Skywise came to get her. He knew that no matter what, she needed to eat today. All day his dreams had been haunted by her gaunt look and the fear in her eyes. He hoped that a good meal or two would change a little of that, at least. And in all truth, for whatever reason, he cared for this cubling, worried about her, and hoped to the High Ones that she would be okay. He found her burrowed so deep inside the furs that he could barely make her out at all. And he approached her warily, unsure of what she would do when cornered this way.
He needn't have worried, really. She had no weapon. She had no anger. All she had to her name were the skins on her back, and the grief in her heart, and soon enough the grief would fade away and the skins would grow too small. He didn't know the pain she felt, or the fear that these elves would cast her out of this tribe as well, forcing her to live on her own, keeping herself alive as best she could. And she knew that she wouldn't survive. Not out there on her own. Not now.
When he stepped inside the confines of her room, she heard him immediately. But she couldn't do a thing about it. She didn't really want to. All she wanted was to be left alone. Skywise could feel this, could feel her Sending this feeling to him, much the same way Starjumper Sent such feelings. She was untaught, but not unskilled. It was a normal enough talent, but it made him wonder what else she was skilled at. And he found that he wondered a great deal more about her. He wondered such things as who raised her, what she enjoyed doing, whether or not she'd had the same upbringing that he'd had. Whether she could play a decent game of "catch-the-cub." And whether she would be able to partner with him in a game of taal much later on.
"Firetemper?" It was a soft question. He knew already that she wanted him gone, and he didn't want to press her too quickly. When she raised her head, he winced. The hollows beneath her cheekbones were grey and her appearance was sallow. There were shadows under her eyes, darknesses that even a full day's sleep hadn't been able to erase. And he wondered just how much longer she would have survived before the humans found her again, had he left her behind. "Come with me, cubling. You need to eat."
Her stomach growled, acknowledging what he said with it's own opinion. It seemed that her stomach had no respect for the grief she carried within her. She glared down at the offending part of her, giving it the very stare that had earned her name so long before. But she didn't want to think about her father, who had given her the name after her most spectacular temper-tantrum. She didn't want to think about her mother and sister, who'd teased her unmercifully about the glares she was able to give others, glares that might have held the power of death within them, had she possessed such magic.
Skywise held out a hand to her, and she rose completely from the furs and took his hand, going out into the night to where the tribe had rustled up one of Strongbow's kills. And although she ate sparingly, before the end of it, each tribemember was commenting quietly to his or her neighbor that there would have to be a great many more kills in order to keep that cub satisfied.
Author's Notes:
Thus ends the second part of the story. I know it's going very
slowly, but I'm trying to set up just who Firetemper is, so that I won't
have to dwell so much on her later. I hope you are enjoying the story.
And don't worry, it does get more lighthearted later.
Chapter Three
A New Elf Emerges From The Cub
Firetemper had been within the tribe for so long that most of her memories of the other tribe had been forgotten, remembered vaguely and only as a cubling's dream. It didn't matter all that much, after all. She knew that she was loved within the tribe, most especially by Skywise, her best friend. He let her tag along on almost every trip he took, excepting those he took with his lovemate Foxfur. But she liked Foxfur too.
She was older now, and had been a student of Longreach and Strongbow for quite some time. It was a comfortable feeling, because she was able to use both teachings to the tribe's advantage. As Longreach's student, she learned the history of the tribe, and how to tell such histories, as well as when. Because she was not a Wolfrider exactly, she did not need dreamberries to remember those times. Longreach was able to send them to her without a problem.
As Strongbow's student, she showed great promise in hunting. His brother, Crossbow, was teaching her the use of the crossbow, and she had also learned how to use a knife and a sword. Her hunting skills were on par with some of the adults', though nowhere near that of Strongbow himself. And she loved all of her teachers very much.
Nights alone were not a problem. She had never been a very social elf, preferring the company of one or two others to that of the tribe in general. And she did not have a wolf-friend as yet, but that, once again, was not a problem. Any of the wolves were happy to let her ride them, and their elf-friends didn't mind if they helped her hunt. In this way, as a cub, she did not lack for playmates.
But she was grown now, or at least more grown than she had been in years past. Strongbow and Crossbow were speaking of taking her on a long hunt, to evaluate her skills as they would help her survive, without others around her. The two had already spoken with Bearclaw, who'd approved the idea. All they were waiting on was for her to find a suitable wolf-friend. And she was looking forward to that herself.
As she cleaned her blades, she thought about all the things that she would have to do if they actually did go on that hunt. Both of the hunters had said that they would depend on her to keep them all fed, and that in order to keep her practicing Longreach's teachings she would tell a story each eight-of-days. But she didn't know how long they would be gone.
At that moment, one of the adolescent wolves pitched headfirst into the tree she was seated at. She looked up, and the wolf regarded her lopsidedly, his tongue lolling out slowly. She knew the name of this wolf, and knew that he was unbonded, but in that instant she was aware of something else. And she realized after a second that it had happened, that she was now bonded to a wolf. Blackbriar shook himself a bit, then came to her side, nuzzling her softly. He was older than most newly-bonded wolves were, but not too old, and his age would help to speed the waiting process for this long hunt. In fact, as far as that factor went, they could leave immediately.
Firetemper liked that idea, and hurried off, Blackbriar right behind her. And she tumbled headfirst straight into Bearclaw. "My chief! Guess what?" Her high spirits were contagious, it would seem, for Bearclaw smiled, changing his perpetual scowl into a slightly friendlier mask. "I have a wolf-friend of my own." The smile widened slightly, and he examined the wolf for a long moment before he turned to her, satisfied.
"So it would seem, cub. And he's a good wolf-friend. He'll take good care of you, and you should do the same with him." Firetemper nodded impatiently, and Bearclaw continued. "I assume that you are ready to go on the hunt that Strongbow and Crossbow have thought up?" Another nod came, and he sighed. "Very well. I'll tell them to be ready, that the three of you will leave two days from now. You'd best go pack. They tell me you'll be gone a long time. And you might want to say your goodbyes to Skywise and the rest of the tribe. They'll be sorry to see you go, cub."
Firetemper ran off, looking desperately for Skywise. When she found him, he was looking at Foxfur apologetically, while Bearclaw's son pestered the two of them. She smiled at that, knowing just how annoying Cutter could be.
"Skywise, guess what?! I'm going to be going on that hunt now! I leave in two days!" She was practically glowing with excitement, and both elves looked at her in interest.
"You've found a wolf-friend, I take it?" Firetemper nodded, much as she had done with Bearclaw, and Skywise smiled. "All right then. As a farewell celebration, let's go for a ride." And the four left, chattering excitedly, the liaison between Foxfur and Skywise forgotten for the moment.
Author's notes:
This story is going much slower than I expected, but hang in
there. I promise that at some point it does get interesting. Trust me! And until then, I'm having fun, anyway. :) I'm skipping over quite a bit because it would be even more boring, and it's information that I can touch on later, when I need it. There's a lot of explanation right now, for those who don't understand Ebony's relationship with the tribe. That will change as soon as possible. Thanks!
Chapter Four
New Thoughts
Firetemper and her two mentors had been on their hunt for a good six months or so. They stayed within Sending distance of the Holt, though it would take a strong Sender to do so, and they kept to themselves. Firetemper was steadily proving to both of the hunters that she could hold her own, and would survive even if left by herself. And that was what they both wanted. At the moment, they were munching quietly on portions of some ravvits that she had killed earlier in the day. Firetemper was always careful not to kill more than they could eat, not to be wasteful. And the wolf-friends generally fed themselves, although if there proved to be too much food after all, they would help.
Firetemper herself was staring at the stars, thinking far too many thoughts for such a filling meal. Skywise was prevalent, but there was more to it than that. She felt something for Crossbow, something she couldn't quite name yet. But she hoped that he felt it too.
Also, she was lonely. Although she was a loner by nature, she'd almost always been around Skywise and the rest of the tribe, no matter how hard she had tried to avoid them. And now, with only Strongbow and Crossbow to talk to, she was very lonely. Especially as she tended to make a fool of herself when talking to Crossbow. Invariably she would say the wrong thing, or not think about what she was doing. She was sure that his opinion of her, if measured in numbers, would not exceed zero, and she couldn't blame him. For some reason, his opinion seemed very important to her.
She smiled as she realized the turn her thoughts had taken. Once more to Crossbow, without her even noticing. These days it was generally that way. Blackbriar was no help either, always sniffing about Crossbow's wolf-friend Softmane. The two of them seemed to have a fascination for each other. Firetemper was guessing that before the year was out, Softmane would be with cubs.
Firetemper liked Softmane a great deal. The wolf was a solid sort, gentle in a nurturing way. She countered the spirited Blackbriar perfectly, and the two made a handsome pair when hunting, one a soft, silky grey and the other a sleek black. And that turned her thoughts once more to Crossbow. He was handsome, also. A little heavier than his brother, with shoulders just a bit broader, he tended to show up in her dreams with great regularity. And although she could not remember those dreams the next day, they left her with a very unsettled feeling. His hair was short, and several shades darker than Strongbow's, and his eyes were a leafy green, which complimented the dark blue leathers he wore. Firetemper shivered softly, again trying to turn her thoughts to something other than this elf who unsettled her so.
Now it was the stars themselves. She searched again, as she had every night since leaving the Holt, for the pictures that Skywise could see so easily. A few of them she could see the possibility of, but that was all. She couldn't imagine seeing the Great Wolf or the Human Hunter.
And she wondered if Strongbow or Crossbow could see them. Strongbow had never had a lot of patience with Skywise's stargazing, but Crossbow had. So it was likely that if either of them could see it, it would be Crossbow. And after all, he was so much more skilled than she was.
She shook her head, sighing. Again he had come unbidden into her thoughts. What would she do? As usual, she did nothing, only raising herself up onto her elbows and looking around for a good place to curl up. When she found one, she nestled into the grasses, warmth from Blackbriar's body seeping into hers, and she fell fast asleep. And once more, the dreams came.
Author's Notes:
I've thought about this a lot, and I'm going to include more than one aspect of Ebony's life. The huntress is *not* chaste, and I refuse to show her as such. For that reason, sensitive readers will probably want to avoid the next part. These parts aren't completely necessary to the whole of the story, but they add something to Ebony. I'll put anything like this in a part by itself so that those who do not wish to read them don't have to, and I will be putting it as tastefully as is "elfishly" possible! I just wanted to warn those of you who care. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this part and continue to enjoy the story in
the future.
Chapter Five
New Feelings
Another year had passed, and Firetemper had slowly become familiar with the emotions that Crossbow stirred within her. She couldn't explain exactly what she was feeling, but it was exciting, and she enjoyed it. She only wondered if he felt the same thing. Certainly she had become smoother when dealing with him, and she hoped he noticed. Blackbriar had found companionship in Softmane, and Firetemper wondered if she would find the same thing in Softmane's elf-friend. But there was little enough time to think about it these days. The days were colder, and it was harder to hunt. One good thing about this weather was that it allowed meat to be kept without going rotten. They had a tree whose trunk was hollowed out. All they did was pack the trunk with meat and snow, and the meat would freeze. Fortunately, snow was very prevalent around here.
She'd just put the bodies of two ravvits in that tree as it happened. Their food had been running low, so she had gone out to look for it. Strongbow was working on a fire to keep them warm. They were far enough away from humans that it didn't matter if they built one, and Redlance had insisted before they left that it would not hurt the forest in any way.
As Firetemper turned away from the tree, she bumped into Crossbow's strong chest, and she gasped. He laughed as she jumped back, and she marvelled at his deep voice. It was soft and husky, and she longed to hear him speaking that way for her and her alone.
"Firetemper?" She nodded quickly. "I've come to talk to you for a bit. Is there any place we might go a bit more private?"
Glancing sharply at him, she turned and led him to a small clearing away from the main camp. It was very private, and to Firetemper's mind very romantic. When they entered the clearing, Crossbow smiled softly at her, nodding his approval. "You have good taste, Firetemper. How am I to say this? I've been watching you for some time now." Firetemper sat listening to him, frightened beyond words. He could be leading up to a statement that would make her dreams come true, or he could just want to give her a private evaluation of her hunting abilities. She wasn't sure which she would prefer.
"You're not a cub anymore, Firetemper. And you're very beautiful, and very comfortable to be around." What if he had noticed *her* thoughts?! Considering that possibility, she wanted nothing more than the ground to swallow her up right then and there. "I am not mated to anyone, although I have often considered it. But I have never thought about it as seriously as I am now. I suppose what I am leading to is I would like to ask you whether you would consider becoming my lovemate?"
He trailed off, and she stared at him in shock. Of all the things she had expected of him, she had never expected him to be so nervous as he was right now. He was pacing, and had a very worried look on his face, which matched the rest of him quite well, and she almost laughed aloud before she realized what that would accomplish. Finally gathering her wits together, she stood, going to him and stopping him.
"Crossbow?" she asked softly, and when he turned to look at her, she summoned her courage and kissed him softly. The feel of his lips against hers stirred her in a way nothing ever had before. And she could feel his relieved smile against her mouth. Acting mostly on instinct, she ran her hands up his chest around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She was quick to learn to breathe through her nose, and without her really noticing, they were laying on the snow itself. It felt numblingly cold, a sharp contrast to the heat of his body against hers, and she smiled.
At that moment, he noticed where she was laying, and he stripped off his tunic and leggings, then rolled so that he was below her, protecting her from the snow. His lips ran a trail of heat down her throat to her breasts and she moaned softly, sounding faintly like a wolf. That sound seemed to inflame the emotions to a higher level, and before she knew it, she was completely naked astride him. His hands roamed everywhere, leaving tingles and heat whereever they went, and she could feel him at her entrance. There was a sharp pain as he entered her, but that faded as he slowly moved in and out. And then there was nothing but feelings, nothing but explosive pleasure that almost resembled pain. And she fell atop him, spent.
With great care he melted some snow and bathed her gently, then wrapped her back in her leathers and carried her back to the campsite. And he laid her down on one of the furs that made up her bed, curling up beside her with Softmane at his back and Blackbriar at Firetemper's. And the last thing he noticed as he drifted off was Strongbow's disapproving scowl.
Author's notes:
As this is a big first for Ebony, I wanted to include it. Once
again, I hope I didn't offend anyone by writing it. And I hope I gave enough warnings! There will be more adult parts throughout the story, but always by themselves! Enjoy, and I'll see you again soon!