"Moon, Moon wake up." Skywise shook the new elf, and after she didn't respond picked her up and carried her out of the Great Father Tree and set her on his wolf. The Wolfriders had noticed they had a newcomer after the party of elves that went to retrieve Redlace brought back two elves instead of just the one. They didn't mind the three new wolves at all, they stayed far away from everyone, but as soon as they saw Moon they raced forward to gently prod her with there noses letting out soft whimpers when she didn't awaken. Cutter and his mount walked up to Skywise and the blond gave them a worried glance after look at the three worried and confused wolves. 'She wasn't lying when she said he was huge.' The black wolfs' shoulder was the same height as Cutters' topknot.
"Can Starjumper carry the both of you?" Skywise had set Moon before him and held on to her waist keeping her from falling off.
"For a little while anyway. She wouldn't wake up and she's been through a lot already. I just decided it would be better if she slept some more." Skywise and Cutter looked back at Redlance with Nightfall. "He didn't get hurt as bad as Moon that I can tell anyway." The wolfriders left the Holt as soon as everyone had some food and water tied in pouches at their hips. The fire was able to be heard clearly even though the flames could not be seen but the glow above the tree tops let them know it was close. "Hey Cutter, look at this. The white one has a pack strapped to its back."
Cutter looked over at the white wolf for the first time and saw the leather pack Skywise was talking about. "I guess Moon had stuff she traveled along with." The entrance to the cavern soon appeared and in the cover of smoke Cutter banged on the metal plate inlaid in the stone door with the butt of his sword. A troll and waited until the door was opened enough for him until he slipped inside.
The rest of the Wolfriders peered inside watching as Cutter tied up the doorman and as Picknose and his other trolls came in. A scuffle later the elves and their mounts were being led to the thrown room by Picknose who was tied up and at spear point. "Oh wow." Dewshine murmured looking around. Jewels were inlaid in the ground and walls shining in the faint light, along with different metals. Cutter and Skywise were talking in front of the rest when Skywise stopped talking to look down at the elf in his arms.
"Is she waking up?" Cutter asked leaning over. Skywise nodded and watched as his passenger sat straighter looking around before looking behind her.
"Where are we?" She asked looking at Skywise and Cutter.
"Nice to see you're awake." Skywise said with a soft smile.
"The humans burned down the forest." Cutter growled out. Moon looked at him in shock. "I knew I should have killed that old man, I should have listened to my instinct. We are now in the cavern of the trolls and Picky here is leading us to his king." Picknose grumbled in front of him and Cutter poked the spear into his back. "Watch your tongue or you'll get your spear back, in your back." Picknose made a face but held his tongue pointing out the doors at the top of a flight of stairs.
Moon chuckled softly as she looked around in awe before searching for her wolf friends. *Shadowbringer my friend. Will you not walk near me?* The happy wolf only visible because of his amber eyes ran to be next to his friend. Once he was next to Starjumper, Moon jumped onto his back letting out a his of pain and clutching her wounded side. "Oh? Who's this?" Skywise and Cutter asked.
"He's my wolf friend, and the sire to the cub over there." She watched the cub with a small smile before looking back. "His name is Shadowbringer, this is his mate Starchaser, and the cub is Dreamer." Scratching behind the black wolfs' ears she smiled again. "Shadowbringer found me after my father and mother died. He's been with me ever since." She hugged the wolfs neck and he let out a happy bark that echoed across the caverns walls and made the trolls cringe as the two elves next to her laughed at the wolfs' glee.
"Will you please keep those animals quiet. This is not some forest you live in this is our domain you stinking elf." Cutter shut him him up by once again poking Picky in the back as waning and he and the others stayed quiet.
"What are your wolves names?" Moon asked quietly.
Cutter patted his mounts head as he spoke. "This is Nightrunner."
"And this is Starjumper." Skywise told her.
"Ah. Oh Skywise, sorry that you had to have Starjumper carry me." Moon looked forward and watched the doors grow bigger as they got closer to the massive doors.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it." He rested a hand on her shoulder for a minute before taking it back. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good. In a bit of pain, but pain is better than being dead right?" She looked ahead still clutching at her right side tightening her grip. The pain was unbearable, but there was nothing she or this small band of elves could do. She didn't want to make them feel bad. A sudden jolt of pain made her bend over her wolf slightly and she hoped that her saviors didn't notice. She straightened up and looked towards Starchaser and Dreamer who eagerly bounded over to see her. She scooped the cub up and held him in her arms as he squirmed around in her arms so he could lick her face.
Unknown to her Skywise and Cutter watched her and Redlance worriedly. Cutter often looked back at Redlance to see how he was doing. Every once in awhile he would see him clutch his stomach and Nightfall would watch him, saddened that she couldn't do anything to ease the pain, and he would look back at her eyes filled with love. The fair-haired elf looked back at Moon to see her holding the sleeping cub in one crooked arm as she was scratching his stomach.
Skywise watched his chief look over at Redlance and Moon who Cutter now considered part of his family. And he looked back at Moon to see her shudder and bend over as her small frame was wracked with coughs. She reached into the sack strapped onto Starchaser and pulled out a scrap of leather. That's when the sent of blood hit his nose. The cub in her arms slept through the shaking and the noise and she held it in her arm trying not to waken the young wolf as she pressed the leather to the side of her mouth.
*Cutter she's in bad shape.* They reached the large doors made of gold and full of gems, Picknose opened them to reveal a large cavern with plenty of trolls and jewels, and in the middle, sitting in a thrown being fed mushrooms, sat King Greymung king of the trolls.
*I know Skywise. But we can't do anything else. We don't have a healer. She's even trying to hide it from us what does she think that will help?* Skywise merely shrugged having no answer. Skywise was quietly telling Moon who was who. Soon her head was spinning with all the names and she tried to remember the faces to the names rushing through her head.
"What's this?" Spat Greymung. "Picknose, is this how you defend your king?" Picknose didn't say anything. Instead he shifted from foot to foot mumbling about the wolfriders fighting back.
Cutter stepped up to the king his leather clad feet hardly making a sound as he left Skywise holding the spear and looking smugly at Picknose. The rest of the wolfriders sat around the cavern or looked at the bright metals and jewels. Moon gathered some mushrooms, and leather skins full of water stuffing them in the sack on Starchasers' back when no one was looking before she propped herself against the wall of the cavern watching everyone.
"When did we ever cheat you in a trade?" Skywises' voice echoed across the walls and she turned her head to see what was happening. "We offer only our finest pelts and leathers for your metals." He took a bite of the mushroom he was holding and Greymung glared at him.
"And when someone has fallen sick, haven't we fetched your herbs and medicines not asking for anything in return?" Nightfall spoke up. Redlance sat on a rock next to her looking exhausted.
"You only do these things because you know only we trolls can forge the fine weapons and trinkets you fancy." Picknose sneered his hands still tied behind his back. "Anyone can learn to hunt. You need us more than we need you."
"Oh? Alright, we'll see how you fare when the whitecold comes and you have nothing in your stores holes." Cutter pointed out. Moon once again looked around noticing the eyes of wolves and wolfriders alike looking at her before looking away. She bit her lip as another burst of pain caused her to see white and she took deep, shaking breaths as she tried to calm herself. Dreamer played with Starchasers' tail, and Shadowbringer padded up to his friend and rested his muzzle on her shoulder allowing her to thread her fingers through his thick fur as she whispered in his ear. "Thank you my friend. You always seem to know when something's wrong." A few moments later she was able to see blurred shapes as the pain faded to a dull ache.
"I said get away from that!" Greymungs' yell startled all of the wolfriders, and all heads turned to see the troll hit Skywise across his head sending the elf flying. Cutter used the hilt of the sword chipping of a piece of the rock Skywise was observing and handing it to him.
"Here you go. The troll king has given you a gift." Cutter sneered. Moon leaned against the rock closing her eyes, absentmindedly stroking their fur the only sign she was awake was the movement of her hands.
"Moon?" A sweet voice filled her ears and she opened her eyes to see a blonde elf and next to her someone wearing a cap.
"Yes?" She asked them tilting her head softly.
"I'm Dewshine, and this is Scouter. We thought you might want something to eat as we walk. The trolls are leading us to the tunnel of golden light in a few moments." She chirped excitedly as she handed the stunned elf on the floor some mushrooms and jerky. The stared at them as they walked away sending a quick thanks and bit into the dried meat savoring the flavor.
Standing she got onto the midnight wolf and followed behind the others. The journey was long and the voices of the wolfriders echoed through the tunnel as they sang. Moon watched the group feeling slightly uncomfortable with all the elves and wolves around compared to the quiet of just her and her wolves. A soft hiss and a clutched hand at her side was the only sign of pain as she had her wolves walk faster so she could be near Cutter and Skywise, the only elves out of the group she felt remotely comfortable with at the moment.
When she made it up to the front Skywise was making a braid with what looked like hair. "Oh there you are. I thought I might have to go find you." Skywise said happily. He reached over and grabbed a few strands of her silver hair and pulled them out quickly.
"Ow. What are you doing?" She asked as she watched him braid the strands together into a cord.
"I'm braiding the strands from everyones hair into a string for the magic stone. That way it will become a good luck talisman for all the wolfriders." He explained not looking up from his work.
"But, I'm not a wolfrider." Moon whispered. Skywises' head snapped up and Cutter looked over at her.
"Of course you are. Now anyways." Cutter said still looking at her. "At least if you want to be."
Moon nodded happily. Skywise explained to her what he knew about the lodestone from what Greymung had told him. And Skywise and Moon got into a long conversation about stars that Cutter tuned out after a while. After what seemed like days the darkness of the tunnel was illuminated by sunlight and the cheerful shouts of the wolfriders behind them lifted everyones' spirits.
The wolfriders walked into the bright light being blinded and a yell came from the opening of the cave. "Father!" Dewshine ran towards the collapsed tunnel entrance and kneeled by her coughing father with the wolfriders behind her. Moon gazed out over the hills of sand searching for any shadows.
"Cutter," She turned toward the leader, "we have a problem." She looked back over the waste land. All the wolfriders followed her gaze looking out at the desert while shielding their eyes. "What do we do?" She turned to face him to see him staring into the sand before walking back into the shadows of the cave. Treestump and Skywise followed him and their voices echoed around everyone."There's bound to be shade and water somewhere out there." Moon said quietly. She pulled her hair off her neck and tied it in a high ponytail wincing as she raised her arms.
"We can't stay here forever." One of the elves said while walking closer to the entrance. Moon and a few others walked outside and looked around.
"Sheer cliffs behind us, a death trap in front of us." Moon walked inside and sat down next to the entrance
"Hey! Look at that." Cutter pointed at the lodestone twirling on the string in Skywise's grip.
"It always ends up in the same direction." Skywise looked at the stone curiously. Dewshine walked closer and pointed where they came from.
"One end points there. The other..." She trailed off as she thought about it. Skywise and Cutter decided that just sitting in the entrance to the cave would be better than heading out into the heat and everyone sat around waiting for nightfall that was sure to come, the only question was when.