"What did you just do?" came a startled sending of Strongbow, who had just been forgiven by Kureel for his death mere heartbeats before sighting the open cocoon of One-Eye, who was strangely breathing. as if asleep.
"Now that you know what you know, must I explain?" Clearbrook asked, which made the normally stern faced archer smile softly, which was a rare sight to see even for Clearbrook herself in her time with the archer. She turned back to her fallen Lifemate and locked sent to him. "Magic gave you this breath which is not yours." she sent, not expecting an answer. Which startled her.
"Timmian let me return." One-Eye sent back opening his only eye to take in his lifemate. a hand raised up form where he laid and brushed away a tear on her cheek. "For only one thing to give you." Clearbrook took her lifemates hand in hers and held it. Tears streaming down her face. Strongbow said nothing, but took a step back and kept watch.
"What is it you want to give me Sur?" she sent to him, clearly confused as to why the High One would allow her lifemate to return after three years.
"One last hug." One Eye ent back reaching with his other hand to take Clearbrook into a hug. one which he had wanted to give for many years, but in sperit form, he was unable to. At lweast until she had forgiven Two-Edge. Clearbrook cried openly then as she hugged her fallen lifemate, who had only enough breath to hug her one last time.
Once One-Eye had laid back down did Clearbrook allow him to leave. But there was one more then that One Eye wanted before leaving. "Strongbow, packbrother." He locksent to the archer who turned his way and came to his side within a heartbeat. Clearbrook cloudn't hear either of them sending. "Keep her safe, for me." Strongbow couldn't speak. how cloud he? He'd just been charged with a task he knew he alone couldn't do on his own. Not without another to keep him sane while doing the task.
Then with a sigh did One-Eye take his last breath, and his spirit left him for good.
Outside the Palace of the High Ones Treestump was telling Cutter what happened at the frozen mountains. "Clearbrook and Strongbow have been in there a while now" he mentioned out of the blue.
"Let them be, you said Rayek banished the Go-Backs?" Cutter asked.
"Yep, he said that.... huh?! One-Eye, here and gone?" Treestump suddenly asked as the spirit of their fallen friend seemed to give them both a hug before fading away.
"Look!" Cutter said pointing towards the Palace door, within the opening stood two people, Clearbrook, and Strongbow, both of them looked said, but Cutter could feel that they were both in good spirits because of something that One-Eye had just done.
The looks on their faces were enough to tell Skywise something was needed. "Follow me" He said, leading the tribe to where he had Cutter had laid Starjumper. Clearbrook laid her fallen Lifemate next to Skywise' fallen bondwolf. The tribe then howled for them both.
Up in the sky's of Two Moons One-Eyes spirit looked down on his tribe, his lifemate, finally at peace with his passing. And Skywise, with the High One Timmian by his side taking the place of Starjumper, who was next to One-Eye in spirit. Both where at peace.
And One-Eye was happy. He had given his lifemate one last hug. Which made him also at peace.
The End.