AN/ Wooot Woot I'm on a roll, gonna finish up all my dang stories so I can enjoy writing what's most important my Original story that might just make me lots of money! Alright everyone read, review and watch! I know a lot of you are noticing that I play musical names. The names I call people depends on the company they are around.

Tigress/Syberia/Elia -she goes by Tigress around most of the original tribe, Syberia (use to) around the encampment group now they are calling her Syberia, and Elia when around Bray/Joanna/Lily/Lex and Martin

Joanna/Cougar- everyone calls her Cougar except for Elia. Bray and Martin sometimes will call her Joanna but most of the time refers to her as Cougar

Zoot/Martin/Jaguar- Never goes by Zoot anymore but Elia thought of him as Zoot until Bray called him Martin. He goes by Martin around Bray, Joanna and Elia. Everyone else calls him Jaguar.

I also noticed I haven't mentioned the Tribes Name we are the Forest Hallows Tribe Just an FYI if you see that name pop up somewhere

Hope Beyond Hope Chapter 7

Moon Rise

Even though the sun had just broke over the horizon the forest was still dark, it would take a good twenty minutes until the light would pierce the thick foliage. For some reason I hadn't been able to sleep the night before, most of the night I spent tossing and turning until I had finally got up and came out here to relax and reflect. I would be tired today but perhaps tonight I should be able to sleep better. What had kept me up most of the night were Bray's words. Were these feelings really love, or did I yet again just over impose the need for love over the feelings. I was going crazy worrying about it, neither of us needed to be hurt again.

It was during these crazy thoughts that I remembered a conversation that I had with my grandma when I got my first crush.

~Flash back~

A young girl of 8 sat at the kitchen counter kicking her feet playing with one of her bright blond pigtails. "Mammaw Jewel how do you know if you love someone?"

The older woman laughed quickly. She got a soft smile on her face before going about the process of gather up 2 dishes and getting a box of ice cream out of the freezer. After dishing out the bowls and getting out two spoons she gave one to the girl and then took a bite of her ice cream. "Love, why do you ask lele? You have a crush on some boy?"

Elia frowned and tilted her head "Crush? What's a crush mammaw? Is that like love? How do you know if you have a crush?" The little girl started rambling off questions between bites of ice cream.

Jewel chuckled and waited a few minutes until the girl stopped then answered "A crush Lele is when you like someone… love is so much more. You can crush on a lot of boys but you will only ever love one person. The person you love is your soul mate"

Elia bit her lower lip ignoring the melting bowl of ice cream sitting in front of her as she took in her grandma's words. "How will I know that I love someone and don't just have a crush on them?"

Jewel sighed and seemed to sink into a memory for a few minutes. "When you love someone you can't imagine your life without them. Even if you try to imagine a future with them gone nothing appears. Every moment you are with them you treasure when you are apart you count the seconds until you are back together. You never want to lose them but you would do anything for them to see them happy, even if it means letting them go, although you will fight tooth claw and nail before you let it get to that point. Although you get along you do get into fights but you are willing to bend and give a little so that you can both be happy. If they aren't happy then you aren't happy. One phrase sums it up best… You would be lost without them."

The little girl giggled and finally went back to her ice cream "But Mammaw… momma always told me that you have to be indepen… indepen… Independent! Enough to take care of yourself… you shouldn't need a man to be happy"

Jewel reached out touching the end of the little girls nose. "You don't need them to be happy… you want them to be around to be happy. Be independent make your own choices Lele… never let anyone, even someone you love, force you to do something you don't want to, or let them hurt you just because you love them. There are bad people out there Lele never forget that, and god forbid if you should find yourself falling in love with someone like that then get away. But if they love you back as much as you love them then they won't ever hurt you or allow you to be hurt."

The little girl nodded and finished off her ice cream before getting all serious and looking at he grandma "Mammaw Jewel, I think I have a crush. I don't want to have a crush though, I want to be in love."

~End Flash Back~

As I recalled my grandmother's words I found tears rolling down my face, the memories of my family had faded over the years, even now Mammaw Jewels face was blurred along the edges and I had trouble remembering the color of her eyes or the exact shade of brown her hair was. Had it started graying yet or was she still young enough in that memory to still have her rich brown color? But even though the visual aspect of the memory had faded her words were still solid in my mind. She was the reason I didn't date until after the Virus… when I was in middle school I wasn't like all the other girls who dated every person they had a crush on. I actually never dated because I was always looking for love, not lust or crushes.

Perhaps that is why I was so easy to fool into making myself believe that my friendship with Dragon was love, because I so desperately wanted the love mammaw had talked about. Yet now as I compare the feelings I felt for Dragon and the feelings I've started feeling for Bray I could easily see the difference. The memory also helped me sort through my feelings for Bray. As I searched my memories I was surprised to find that every day since the moment he came to the technos encampment I had been by his side. I had nursed him back to health. I had even slept next to him to make sure he made it through the night. After that I had spent most of my time split between Lily and Bray. But even when I was with Lily I was constantly searching for him or telling Lily made up stories referencing him as the Hero so that Lily would be able to associate a character with a face.

When I had problems or worries I automatically went to him for advice or just to feel his strength. When I thought of him leaving me to return to his tribe I felt the world fall out from under me, heck I can't even imagine what I would do without him here to lean on or confide in. My friendship with Cougar and Dragon wouldn't replace the hole that would form in my heart. It was with an audible gasp that I came back from that depressing train of thought. I really and truly did love Bray. I knew I would walk to the ends of the earth to follow him, even if he left my tribe at the end of the winter I know I would go with him.

The light of day was finally peaking through the canopy when I got up to start my morning routine. The dried tear stains on my face needed to be washed away before anyone could see them. Since I was the first one up it was my job to start the fire so I started that process as well.

I had just gotten the fire roaring when the first people started getting up for the morning. Cougar was the first one up followed by Martin and Bray. I had just finished gathering up the supplies for a trip to the hot springs when the others came out of their huts. I smiled up at Cougar and nodded my head towards my arms "Joanna, come join me at the hot springs! I need a good long soak and I think we have months worth of catching up to do little sister"

She let out a girly giggle, a rarity heard from both of us, and turned back to get her own bathing supplies. As she came out she stopped and looked at both of the boys. "You boys can come to if you want. We built a dividing wall for privacy in the middle of the hot spring, just like they use to do in Japan! It was Tigress' idea so that if someone wanted privacy they could have it." She was mostly addressing Bray but she didn't want to make him feel ill informed.

Martin chuckled and nodded "I know it would be good to get the road dirt off of my skin and Bray I can smell you from clear over here, if you don't bathe soon I think even your little tigress and her cubs won't be able to stand your smell" Bray let out a cough and even from across the clearing I could see a slight blush creeping into his cheeks.

"Alright go get your stuff you two, we'll wait on you. But Martin you can call me Elia and Joanna… I swear if you don't remember to call me Elia in private I'll have your hide. We were friends before the virus and the four of you, along with my 'cubs' are the only ones aloud to call me that. I don't know about all of you but the occasional reminder about who we were before the virus is a good thing" Bray and Martin went into the huts and gathered there own bathing supplies, Martin quickly came out but Bray took longer. When he finally came out he had two 'cubs' following him and they were also caring their own bathing supplies.

"Hum… well then looks like our grand total is 6 perhaps we should get moving before our numbers rise again" they all agreed and we started down the long trail that would take us to the hot spring. Lily, being the energetic child she was, quickly bound over to Martin and climbed him until he was forced to carry her. "Uncle Jaguar, Uncle Bray talked about his niece in many of his stories… is she your daughter? How old is she? Can I meet her? Is she my cousin?" Martin seemed shocked and didn't seem quite sure how to answer but finally after no one else would answer for him he finally seemed to settle on some answers.

"Yes Brady is my daughter and she's your age but I haven't seen her since she was a really little baby, she lives with her mommy and yes after I go to the city to visit with her maybe either she can come back here and visit or we can take you to the city and you can visit with her." She seemed content with that answer because she leaned up giving him a loud kiss on the cheek before struggling to get down then scampering over to Bray and then climbed up him. This apparently was Lex's signal to run over to Martin and climb him like a monkey.

Lucky for Martin Lex didn't ask questions, he was just content to force the older male to carry him. While the two grown men were dealing with the kids Joanna and I were quietly catching up. Apparently most of the tribe had known about Dragon and Hawk since the moment they returned. They had tried to hide their affection from Joanna but she was too good at reading people. Joanna wouldn't give them their approval but she did admit to drilling Dragon for hours about his feelings for Hawk and his feelings for me. She had concluded that the poor boy really did love Hawk and had finally given them a half hearted approval. She knew me, she knew my every thought and emotion and she knew that I would understand. She knew I would not want him to wait on me forever.

I gave her a reassuring sideways hug and told her that she had made the right choice. I wouldn't have wanted Dragon to suffer waiting on me. I wanted true love and true love can only happen if both parties feel unbreakable love. My eyes drifted back towards the boys and my heart melted when I saw both of the boys playing with the children, they would both be wonderful fathers. "Joanna I have to ask you something and I want you to answer truthfully. If Martin goes to the city and decides to stay so he can be with his daughter what will you do?"

Joanna paled and looked back towards the them. "I… I'm sorry Elia I would stay with him. I know that the tribe needs me, that you need me, but I wouldn't be complete without him"

I laughed softly bumping my shoulder against hers playfully "And I'm sorry to say if Bray wanted to stay with his son I would do the same thing. I know that the tribe needs me, that you need me, but he's my other half, just like Martin is your other half"

She looked at me, her jaw dropping, then back at the boys then finally back at me. "Elia… I knew you liked him but are you serious? You're not just using him to help yourself get over Dragon are you?"

I growled at her my eyes narrowing. "You know me better then that Joanna. I made a mistake with Dragon, I was craving love… I missed my family and Dragon was there, he loved me, in my confusion I didn't see that the love was brotherly love. If anyone was a rebound it was Dragon, I was rebounding from the loss of my family. This morning I remembered something my Mammaw Jewel told me. She told me that the best way to know if you love someone is best summed up in one phrase… you would be lost without them. That's how I feel about Bray… that's how you feel about Martin. When I was away from Dragon my mind dealt with it. I survived and to tell you the truth after a few days I barely thought about him. But with Bray even the thought of him being out of my life even for a short time makes me feel lost and I feel like I've fallen into a black hole."

She got all misty eyed and stopped walking to embrace me in a tearful hug. The boys seemed lost at what had happened to make us act like that but we both just laughed and finished the trek to the hot spring. Lily, Joanna and I climbed into our half of the hot spring and Bray, Martin and Lex on theirs.

We could hear each other over the low wall, it only stood 3ft above the water and went 3 ft under water, the water was 3 ft deep in the shallow part and 5 ft deep in the middle so if someone really wanted to they could swim under the wall but most respected each other's privacy.

The little kids were having fun trying to climb over the wall to see who was on the other side but the rest of us just used the time to get clean using a little soap that the tribe made during the spring. After we were clean we just ended up floating and relaxing in the warm waters. Luckily this water stayed warm enough that it never froze in the winter but if you wanted to bathe then you would have to make a fire beside the spring, bathe quickly then dry of and cuddle up to the fire until your hair was dry as well.

We finished bathing then got and got dressed. Before the Technos Joanna and I use to brush each other's hair out because it was so long. So when I got out I was prepared to continue that age old tradition yet before I could even offer to brush her hair out Martin had already taken the brush from her and set about removing her tangles and helping her hair to dry. While he was doing that she called Lily over and used a comb to brush out her hair. I was left to my own devices and felt a little left out until I felt the brush being lifted from my hand by Bray. "Turn around Elia"

I blushed but did as he said my eyes drifting to Martin and Joanna only to see them both giving me a devilish look… we had been set up, this was planned but I can't say that I was all that upset. Bray was very careful and quickly had all the tangles removed. I reached around and took the brush from him then brushed out his long hair. After finishing that I started to braid the seven braids that he had worn since the day I met him. But after I had braided only five he reached up stopping me "Five is enough"

I gave him a questioning look and he looked away. "After my parents and grandparents died I started braiding my hair, one strand for each love one lost. When I thought Martin died I added a fifth, then when I thought that I had lost Amber and my son I added my sixth and seventh. But now that I know that Martin is alive I don't need the one for him, and I don't need one for Amber, she's not lost nor do I love her. I will keep the one for my son until I find him again."

It was a shock but I just nodded wondering what to do with the extra hair, he quickly solved that question by reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small pocket knife handing it to me. I pulled the long hair taught and cut it so it would be the same length as the rest of his hair. After doing that I handed him the strands and the knife but didn't get up. "Can I ask you a question though? You've been wearing the braid for Amber even after you found out from that Ellie girl that she had moved on. Why stop wearing it now?"

He took the hair that I had given him and seemed to be playing with it before he finally answered me "Because, now I have someone that I truly love right with me, I don't need a reminder of the past"

I leaned up putting my forehead against his. "That is really sweet Bray"

A throat clearing behind us and brought us back from the lala land we had apparently been in. When we looked up no one was there, apparently Joanna and Martin had taken the kids back to the camp, clearing their throat before leaving. I looked back at Bray and laughed "Sorry come on Bray let's make our way back to the camp"

I started to get up but a hand on my shoulder stopped me, I turned to ask Bray what he needed but Bray's lips stopped me from voicing that question. All trains of thought quickly left me as I reached up wrapping my arms around his neck drawing him closer. His lips were cracked from the early winter winds, as were mine I suspect, but the main thing I noticed was the unique taste of him. The subtle hints of apple and meat were the major 'flavors' of his kiss because that was the staple of our diets but a honey undertone was present that was all him. I know because honey was a rarity even in the forest and would be worth more than its weight in gold right now. His kisses were soft and a little damp but nothing overly drooly as some of the few innocent kisses I had shared over the years.

We finally broke apart but our foreheads still remained touching as we panting softly trying to catch our breath. I could feel my heart hammering in my chest and couldn't resist letting my hand fall from his shoulder sliding down his chest until it rested over his heart. This caused him to shutter slightly and I smirked in response. His heart was beating faster than normal almost in time with my own. Using my free hand I reached for his free hand and placed it over my own heart. "Bray, if what I feel for you isn't love, than I don't want to feel it, if I felt anything more than this it would surely kill me."

He pulled his forehead back from mine than tilted his head up to kiss the tip of my nose, then kissed down my face until he reached my ear "Elia, I couldn't have said it better myself."

His breath sent shivers down my spine and my breath left my body. I wanted to pounce on him, pin him to the ground and kiss him from head to toe but instead I just sat there breathless and speechless with what probably was a goofy grin on my face, but that's something I probably never want to find out. He smirked "Elia, I would love to sit here all day but the tribe is probably wondering where we are, and I would like for us to spend some time with my brother"

I wanted to protest but I knew he was right so I reached up and pulled him down for one last lingering kiss before we would leave the hot spring. As our lingering lips separated I opened my eyes and waited until he had done the same with a soft smile I took a breath. "I love you Bray, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind or heart"

He smiled and after a long sweet kiss pulled back "I love you too Elia, nothing could keep me away from you"

We reluctantly got up and started back towards camp hand in hand the whole way.

The camp was in an uproar when we returned and Joanna was in the middle trying to play referee but failing because she was surrounded by so many loud voices. That is why we were co-leaders, Joanna was the decision maker and I was the person who made it happen. With a loud growl I reluctantly released Bray's hand and let out a loud roar. It was a sound that shocked all the new comers and had the old tribe members standing at attention. The sound was strange coming from my short compact form but it was effective, better then yelling or so I had found out many years ago. "Good… now what is all this ruckus about and why, prey tell, were you not listening to Cougar who is one of the tribe leaders and has the final say in any argument"

Again the bickering started but this time all I had to do was let out a growl before everyone went quiet. My eyes darted around the group before I sighed and looked at Joanna. I gave her a smile then nodded my head towards her "Cougar would you like to clarify for me, and then perhaps we, as the leaders, can sort this mess out"

Didn't look back at Bray even though my mind was screaming that I just wanted to hold onto his hand, but as a co-leader the only person that the tribe should see me leaning on is Joanna so I made my way over and waited for her to brief me on the situation.

Apparently while Bray and I were gone Panther and Jake had gotten into a fight. Jake didn't think that he should have to help on restoring the camp. His reasoning was that he wasn't a member of the tribe and never was going to be a member of the tribe. Panther on the other hand believed that if Jake was going to be staying here this winter then he needed to have an equal share of work and pull his weight while he was still here.

I reached up rubbing my temples for a moment before turning back to everyone "Jake, Panther you two stay right where you are. Everyone else, get back to what you were doing, I swear if I hear a word from any of you then I'm assigning extra chores and giving you out house duty for a week"

With those words everyone scattered. Martin and Bray stood in the shadows trying to look busy but constantly watching what was going on to make sure that things didn't get out of hand. First I drew my attention to Panther because he was a true member of our Tribe. "Panther, you have been a member of this Tribe for a long time. You were here before the Technos came. You know our policy about coming to us if you have a problem and not just confronting someone. We live in to tight of a space to always be fighting with each other. Everyone has their own opinion but when an opinion differs it is up to Cougar and I to have the final say. Next time bring up your concerns with US FIRST! Do you understand?"

Even though Panther was a good foot taller than me and probably outweighed me by a good eighty pounds he looked taken back and ashamed of his actions "Yes I understand. Tigress, I apologize for my rash behavior and for causing a scene. I am sorry Cougar for giving you trouble and for not bringing my problem up to you before confronting Jake"

I nodded my head showing my acceptance of his apology and Joanna did the same. With a dismissive nod he left and our attention was drawn to Jake who seemed smug about Panther's dismissal and reprimand. My eyes shifted to the spoiled rotten kid who had somehow sailed through the hardships that had occurred since the Virus disrupted our world.

My tribe leader façade dropped and I stalked up to him poking him in the chest. Jake was right, he wasn't a member of my tribe so my right to command him was limited. It was with this in mind I decided that he needed put in his place and because I was the one that brought him here it was my job to do so. "I swear Jake, if you don't get your head out of the ground and start pulling your weight around here, you're going to find yourself stranded beyond the bounds of our tribal land and exiled. Tribe member or not while you are staying here you will follow our rules and that includes helping to fortify the camp. We aren't the only people around here, there are other tribes and various strays that would give anything to steal our winter supplies, supplies that you will need to get through this winter. So either get off your pampered lazy butt and do your assigned portion of work or get out. Those are your ONLY two choices."

He gulped but still had that stubborn look on his face "I shouldn't have to do as much, I'm not part of your tribe. Why should I work my tail off just so you can all have the sweet life after I've left?"

I reached up grabbing his shirt collar and pulled him down to my eye level, he squeaked in protest but then I gave him a violent jerk down so that his head was lower than mine. I bared my teeth at him much like a dog would do and snarled. "Because, we never do anything that isn't needed immediately, do you want to sleep under a leaky roof in the middle of winter, or have stray animals getting into our food supply while you sleep? I will say this one last time… your ONLY two choices are to either do your portion of the work or leave. I've exiled someone before and I will do it again if I have to. Winter is only days away are you going to risk making it into town before the snow comes or are you going to just shut up and obey for a few short months?"

Jake seemed to contemplate my words for a few minutes before his prissy bubble popped and he realized that I wasn't bluffing. I would kick his sorry behind into the snow if he didn't do as I said and even though I wasn't as big as he was, I had the back up to do it. "Fine Tigress I'll do whatever you guys tell me to do"

I jerked his collar so that he was looking at Joanna "You have something to say to her"

He seemed to realize that it wasn't just me who would kick his behind to the curb but Cougar as well. "I am sorry Cougar for not listening to you and for causing such a fuss"

It was a half hearted apology but I pushed him away and let it be, it was enough for now. "This is your only warning Jake, if you act up again it doesn't matter what time of the year it is, we'll escort you to the edge of the woods without a second word, give you a blanket and a knife then point you in the direction of the city and let you go. We'll stand guard and block your re-entry into the forest. So keep that in mind if you want to try and argue your way out of an honest days work"

He quickly scrambled away and I turned back to Joanna sighing and running a hand through my now damp hair. She reached up and gave me a tight hug laughing softly. "Man Tigress I missed you, I am not as loud and boisterous as you are, I've always had trouble getting them to listen to me or getting their attention"

I smirked and returned the hug "That little sister is why we are the perfect team. You're the brains of this operation and I'm the brawn. We make the perfect leader as long as we are together. Now I just hope I haven't scared off the love of my life with my grunts and growls. Joanna what if he thinks I'm strange because of that little show?"

Joanna shook her head laughing and pointed to the shadows behind me. I turned around to see Martin and Bray with amazed looks on their faces. I sheepishly walked towards them playing with the tips of my hair and chewing on my lower lip. "Eh…"

Martin started laughing at that point and reached out slapping his large hand against my back "I was wondering how my quiet little kitten could be the leader of a tribe dominated by men, but I think I've finally found out. You are great! You know how to threaten someone without actually doing damage. Wow Bray I think you got a feisty one on your hands"

I blushed but took the complement. "I've learned a lot from the military, sometimes you have to get up close and personal but if you go too far and start doing damage then they stop respecting your authority and start fearing the pain you can cause them."

He nodded his eyes seeming thoughtful for a second but then he brushed it off. The past was just that, and none of us would change a thing, if we did then we wouldn't be here, together.

I reluctantly turned my attention to Bray and found him seeming to be reappraising me. "Elia that was brilliant, although I think you might have burst an ear drum with that roar of yours but it was effective. You and Joanna make a good team, you balance each other out. You make effective threats that motivate people to comply with your wishes without threatening bodily harm. You did a great job" With that he leaned down and gave me a quick kiss before leaning back and then looking over at the other two.

I let out a loud sigh of relief then got back to business "Alright Joanna I think it's about time to hold a tribe meeting. We need to set ground rules for all of the visitors, tell all the new comers our old and new rules and refresh the memory of the old members for the rules. We also need to start the official initiation of the new tribe members so they can receive their tribal names. We probably should come up with an official choir list and rotation so that there will be no more disputes about who is supposed to do what"

She laughed and playfully punched me in the shoulder "And you said I was the brains of this outfit… I think you would do fine as a solo leader if you just put your mind to it"

I yelped and pretended to freak out "NO! Don't saddle me with all the work! That's why I have you so that you can do all the paper work and be the face of our leadership… I'm just the muscle… I don't want to think!"

The others just laughed and I felt Bray's arms come up around me in a supportive hug. I let out a sigh and shook my head "We should get to work, you boys are welcome to join us but we'll put you to work doing something. Or you can perhaps go out foraging for some food while we do all the hard leadership stuff."

Bray and Martin pretended to argue back and forth before they decided to go work on the encampment as the boys started to walk away I called out after them "Bray, if you want to stay you better pick out a tribe name"

Joanna and I spend the rest of the day crunching numbers and trying to come up with a balanced work chart for the tribe so that no one would have any major complaints. We even set up a rotation for watching the kids so that Trista wouldn't always be saddled with the rambunctious kids day in and day out. By the time night came we were both mentally exhausted but ready for the gathering. Luckily Martin and Bray had passed on the word and everyone, including the children, was sitting quietly around the fire leaving 2 spots at the 'head of the fire' open for us. On one side sat Bray and on the other sat Martin so that we could have the support of our loved one.

"Alright everyone I think we need to go over a few things and clarify some others. First are the rules of the tribe, which apply to everyone. These rules are simple, no fighting, no taking from the food storage unless you are preparing the meal, do your assigned tasks and if you have extra time offer your help to someone else, such as with the kids. If you have any problems bring them directly to either Cougar or me. Do not take it up with anyone else. If Cougar or I ask you to do something, do it with no questions. We have the final say, though we will try to be fair. If you injure a member of this tribe than you will be put on trial and there will be only two options of verdict, guilty and exiled or self defense and you will be dealt a punishment depending on the crime, there is no innocent unless you didn't do anything then well we find who did and they will be punished accordingly. I don't want to say it but if a death occurs then there will be no option either you will be innocent or you will be exiled with a permanent mark showing your rank as a murderer"

I stopped and looked over to Cougar because the next bit was hers "Next is the problem that not all of you are tribe members. As long as you stay with us then you will follow ALL the rules, no if ands or buts. Once you decide to leave then you can be relieved of those duties but until that point you will obey us. For now Tigress and I are your tribe leaders you will address us as such and listen to both of us. This tribe is based off of many animal groups and as such we have ranking. Tigress and I are considered Alphas or leaders, Jaguar is our second in command because we don't want more than two 'leaders' at a time. If we are indisposed and he is available then he is who you would go to. Dragon and Hawk are our third in command. If for some reason Tigress, Jaguar and I are indisposed or gone they are in charge until our return. Panther and Rabbit are next followed by Wolf and Lion and finally Eagle and Mole. If you haven't noticed most leadership groups are in pairs. As someone's spouse or if we are still following animal terms Mate you share their rank. Most people work best with their spouse. Spouses tend to complement each other so this is why we have done this. If you wish to join our tribe then you will follow in line. When you join there is a mix of things that will determine your rank; age, leadership experience and how well you obey rules will be factored in but for a while you will be at the bottom of the food chain."

We went on for another half an hour about little rules that applied to people of different rank and more rules before we finally got around to the point of the initiation of the new members.

"We have a lot of people here right now but this is the time I want to ask anyone who wishes to remain with the tribe after the winter as passed to stay while everyone else is dismissed please leave the area" Many of my rag tag team left only leaving Bray, Trista, Checkers, Lex and Lily. I looked at Trista questioningly and she gave me a sweet smile "I promised the kids to make sure they got home but I don't have anywhere else to go. I want to come back as soon as they have found their families"

I smiled and nodded before motioning for the five to sit in the five seats to my right. Then I looked up at the Tribe and motioned for the five new members, (Lion, Eagle, Mole, Rabbit and Jaguar) to sit in the seats to Joanna's left leaving Wolf, Hawk, Dragon and Panther sitting in the middle directly across from Joanna and me. "Our numbers are a bit odd, six old members to five new and five only partially initiated members. Usually when a new member joins we ask for someone to be their sponsor but seeing as our numbers are off I will make an exception for the partially initiated members. You have all been here long enough to understand how the tribe functions and should not need someone to guide you. As for the five new members I will ask for sponsors, only old members are allowed to sponsor new members mind you. We will start with the children. Lily please come over here."

My small niece got up and trotted over to me facing the audience until I reached down turning her around. "Who will claim the girl once called Lily as their initiate?"

Joanna smiled and stepped forward "I will Tigress"

I smiled thankfully at my sister and she moved so that she was standing next to Lily and facing me. "Leader Cougar, with accepting this initiate as your responsibility, to teach and guide her in the ways of the tribe as well as in the ways of the wild. Teach her to hunt, fish and forage, but also teach her the structure of leadership and of our culture. Now that you know the responsibilities are you still willing to accept?"

Joanna was serious when she replied the affirmative. It was then that I turned my attention to the little girl in front of me "Seeing as you are still rather young and I am the only family you have here I will help you pick your tribal name… because of your spirit and size you will be known from now on as Lynx. A Lynx is a small cat with a big heart, they are protective of their loved ones and despite their size they pack a powerful punch."

Lily beamed at me and nodded her head vigorously "Welcome to our tribe Lynx take your seat with the full pack members"

As she returned to her seat I turned my attention to Lex "Lexington please come up here"

My nephew marched over to me acting like he was a military soldier and I restrained a laugh. "Who will claim the boy once called Lexington as their initiate?"

To my surprise it was Dragon who stood up and walked forward to join us in front of the tribe. "Dragon, with accepting this initiate you will take on the responsibility to teach and guide him in the ways of the tribe as well as in the ways of the wild. Teach him to hunt, fish and forage, but also teach him the structure of leadership and of our culture. Now that you know the responsibilities are you still willing to accept?"

Dragon replied the affirmative and I turned my attention to Lex "Just like your sister it is my job to help you with your new tribal name. You my young nephew are brave and strong. You protect those you love and what you believe is yours. Because of this you will be known from now on as Bear. A bear is a large strong creature that also knows when to be loving and soft."

Lex smiled and lunged forward quickly hugging my leg before returning to Dragon's side. "Welcome to our tribe Bear, take your seat with the full pack members"

Next was Checkers who Panther claimed as his sponsor. He wanted to be called Monkey and so because he was older and had no family that is what he got assigned as his name though Panther didn't seem to excited about that.

Trista came next and Hawk decided to be her sponsor. Trista let Hawk chose her name and because of her love for birds she suggested that Trista be called Dove because of her love for children and peace.

Finally Bray was up and I turned to Joanna "Cougar I wish to be the Sponsor of Bray so you will have to perform the ceremony" she nodded before we switched spots.

"Will the initiate once called Bray please step forward, Tigress you have already voiced your choice to sponsor this initiate so we shall move on. Tigress as this initiates sponsor you are required to teach and guide him in the ways of our tribe as well as the wild. Teach him the rules of our tribe as well as any skills he might be lacking. Now that you know the responsibilities are you still willing to accept?"

I replied the affirmative and then we both turned our attention to Bray "Bray as a full grown adult you can claim your own name, but if you should wish to pass that responsibility on then it will be given to Jaguar because he is your relative and a member of our tribe, what is your choice"

Bray looked between the three of us before looking back at Joanna "I chose to be called Leopard to honor my brother's choice of a spotted cat"

We all chuckled softly but nodded "Then welcome to our Tribe Leopard please be seated with the other tribe members"

With the partially initiated members of the tribe we did a vote for full initiation, not a single ne was said and finally everyone who wanted to be part of the tribe was a full member accepted by everyone and had an official tribal name. By the time the final member, Jaguar, was voted in it was nearing midnight and we were all exhausted. Lily and Lex were sleeping on Martin and Bray's lap even checkers who had been a night owl was falling asleep against Trista's shoulder.

We finally dismissed everyone and we all made our way towards our huts. Lily and Lex were put in with the other children for the night so that we could all get a good nights sleep. Bray and I finally made our way into our hut and after pulling our sleeping mats together we laid down and quickly fell asleep tired for the days events.

AN/ YES I made up the whole braid number thing but that was one thing I always noticed about Bray. Through out the series no matter the make up or costume change he never went without his braids. Never really noticed how many but I just wanted to add that little tid bit into my story because I personally use to do that. When my great grandma died I braided a chunk of my hair for months on end to help me remember her. When my friend died I did the same thing and when 2 of my friends went missing I had 2 braids until we found them again.

Hey everyone you won't believe this but as I was writing this chapter I started to think that I was making Bray way to ooc and mushy but when I went back and found some Bray/Amber Bray/Dannie relationship scenes and to my surprise I found that up to this point I had been making him almost to quiet and not romantic enough. It has been too long since I last watched the Tribe seeing as it doesn't air any more in my area. I tend to forget that The Tribe is pretty much a soap opera for teenagers. I'm glad to say that Bray is NOT out of character in this chapter. The goey gushy man is how he was written. My character is more 'romantic' then I typically am but well I'm trying to follow along the lines of 'the tribe' romances.

Yes I can roar IRL I can mimic a cougars roar so if you want to know what it sounds like Google a cougar roar.

When I first started watching The Tribe I had this Big crush on Lex and his bad boy self. I thought Bray was sexy and all but I thought 'he's too much of a nice guy for me' well if you compare my husband to both of them I think I ended up marrying my own personal Bray LOL… my husband isn't as sweet as Bray but his character leans more towards Bray then Lex… He even broods like Bray LOL… OMG I married a Bray clone! Oh well good for me !

New Reference

Bray = Leopard

Trista = Dove

Lily = Lynx

Lex = Bear

Checkers = Monkey