"Strifeclimber, I don't know how you can stand it." Windarcher mumbled. His
bond looked up at the twisting, rotting branches of the huge tree the elf'd
perched himself in. He gave a shrill bark, perfectly content in the
freezing rain. Windarcher smiled, and pulled his furs closer against the
screaming wind and biting cold.
The fox explored long deserted snake and mouse holes. He ran up on a large dirt mound, and stopped atop it. His wild ears swerved madly before he huffed, and ran back down.
Windarcher would've been happy to watch his bond's frantic antics, but mother memory had other plans...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"K-Kai, what are we going to do?" Windarcher's tiny voice tickled the inside of Firestorm's ears.
"I-I don't know, Tylen." They were cradled against each other in the small den Raintail and Windarcher shared. Firestorm's back was pressed against the den's far back wall. The small head of his soulbrother rested against his chest in it's slow rising and falling. He tried to comfort him as best he could, but he feared he would crush him if he hugged him any closer. He breathed in Windarcher's scent as he felt the younger's fingers twitch against his chest.
The silence didn't last for long, soon the two young pairs of ears were asulted with the high shriek of Veli, Shadowsmile's dam.
"They've found her.." Windarcher's voice was more awed then pained with blackened guilt. He slowly felt the stab of realization at what they'd done. He didn't remember much, just standing, then pulling his dripping hands from musky water. They'd killed. They had sent another elf into nothingness. Nothingness. She was nothing now but a hollow shell. Those damned stories about spirits, a great life after death? Meat to be wasted! Windarcher'd seen her face, her pale skin, blue lips, staring, glazed, lifeless eyes.
And he'd done it.
"No."
"No, Tylen?" Windarcher pushed back from Firestorm. He felt his soulbrother's arms fall from around his back.
"We'll leave."
"Cub, you're talking nonsense."
"No, no I'm not."
"You're scared then, Tylen. Once we explain to them wh-"
"No Kai, they won't understand. They won't believe us! We're the first soulbrothers in hundreds of years, they'll never understand!" Firestorm watched as Windarcher dressed. He stopped, and turned to face Firestorm once he'd finished. He crouched down in front of him. "They will never believe us, Kai. How could they? The fact that our souls are closer than those of any who have recognized, it confuses them. If we were to tell them, about how she discovered your soulname, how together our souls are most complete, they would turn from us, Kai! They can't, they won't ever understand." Tears began to well up in Firestorm's eyes. His Tylen, who had only seen three weeks less than Firestorm, spoke as if he'd lived a thousand lives, fought a thousand wars, and died.. a thousand deaths. He spoke truth, no-one could ever understand.
Firestorm stood, and began to pull on his own clothes.
"Where are we going to go, Tylen? We'll end up wandering aimlessly our whole lives."
"We'll be renegades," Windarcher chuckled nervously. "So what if we never settle?"
"We'll be together though, right?"
"Always."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Yarf!" Windarcher looked down at his fox. The creature was a blur of red under the elf's teary eyes. He smiled slightly once his vision cleared. Strifeclimber had caught a nice, plump rabbit.
Spring.
The fox explored long deserted snake and mouse holes. He ran up on a large dirt mound, and stopped atop it. His wild ears swerved madly before he huffed, and ran back down.
Windarcher would've been happy to watch his bond's frantic antics, but mother memory had other plans...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"K-Kai, what are we going to do?" Windarcher's tiny voice tickled the inside of Firestorm's ears.
"I-I don't know, Tylen." They were cradled against each other in the small den Raintail and Windarcher shared. Firestorm's back was pressed against the den's far back wall. The small head of his soulbrother rested against his chest in it's slow rising and falling. He tried to comfort him as best he could, but he feared he would crush him if he hugged him any closer. He breathed in Windarcher's scent as he felt the younger's fingers twitch against his chest.
The silence didn't last for long, soon the two young pairs of ears were asulted with the high shriek of Veli, Shadowsmile's dam.
"They've found her.." Windarcher's voice was more awed then pained with blackened guilt. He slowly felt the stab of realization at what they'd done. He didn't remember much, just standing, then pulling his dripping hands from musky water. They'd killed. They had sent another elf into nothingness. Nothingness. She was nothing now but a hollow shell. Those damned stories about spirits, a great life after death? Meat to be wasted! Windarcher'd seen her face, her pale skin, blue lips, staring, glazed, lifeless eyes.
And he'd done it.
"No."
"No, Tylen?" Windarcher pushed back from Firestorm. He felt his soulbrother's arms fall from around his back.
"We'll leave."
"Cub, you're talking nonsense."
"No, no I'm not."
"You're scared then, Tylen. Once we explain to them wh-"
"No Kai, they won't understand. They won't believe us! We're the first soulbrothers in hundreds of years, they'll never understand!" Firestorm watched as Windarcher dressed. He stopped, and turned to face Firestorm once he'd finished. He crouched down in front of him. "They will never believe us, Kai. How could they? The fact that our souls are closer than those of any who have recognized, it confuses them. If we were to tell them, about how she discovered your soulname, how together our souls are most complete, they would turn from us, Kai! They can't, they won't ever understand." Tears began to well up in Firestorm's eyes. His Tylen, who had only seen three weeks less than Firestorm, spoke as if he'd lived a thousand lives, fought a thousand wars, and died.. a thousand deaths. He spoke truth, no-one could ever understand.
Firestorm stood, and began to pull on his own clothes.
"Where are we going to go, Tylen? We'll end up wandering aimlessly our whole lives."
"We'll be renegades," Windarcher chuckled nervously. "So what if we never settle?"
"We'll be together though, right?"
"Always."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Yarf!" Windarcher looked down at his fox. The creature was a blur of red under the elf's teary eyes. He smiled slightly once his vision cleared. Strifeclimber had caught a nice, plump rabbit.
Spring.