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Chapter 12: The time of Forgetting

Moonfell was dead on her feet as she collapsed from the air.

They had done it, they had won! So out numbered against seemingly wave after wave of troll that invaded the Go-Back home, but they had won.

Feeling a cold nose against her cheek, hazel eyes weakly opened to stare at a light colored wolf holding a black and white cub in his mouth, staring worriedly at her.

"Starjumper?" Moonfell gave a small smile, but was unable to move her hurt and tired body. She had gotten a pretty bad cut in the side where an arrow embedded itself, blood leaking out of the wound.

The small cub whimpered, being let down so he could cuddle into his partner's side.

The woman had just started to slip into a healing slumber when she heard a voice call out.

"Starjumper you made it! Oh no, Moonfell!"

Suddenly Moonfell felt herself being lifted into arms and opened her eyes to stare into the dark grey of Skywise.

"Skywise?"

"Yes, it's me! Are you okay?"

A smirk appeared on pale lips as Moonfell gave a chuckle, "Yeah, I'm fine…just tired."

"Why aren't you healing yourself? Didn't you wish for that?" His voice was near panic.

"I'm too tired." As if to prove her point, Moonfell gave a yawn, "I'll heal while I sleep…stop being a worry wart."

'Is she going to be okay?' I heard Treestump send to Skywise, worry evident in his sending's.

'I…I think so.'

Giving her tribe mate's a small smile, Moonfell finally fell asleep, her body naturally taking over the healing process as her mind rested.

When Moonfell woke again she was in the throne room with everyone gathered around. Frostbite was laying beside her, growling at anyone that got too close, and Skywise was leaning on Starjumper as he kept watch.

Her side hurt like nothing before, but it was no longer bleeding and would probably leave little more than a faint line of a scar.

Sitting up, and ignoring the pain, Moonfell gently pet Frostbite's head as he barked happily, alerting Skywise.

"Moonfell."

Glancing up she gave her friend a smile, "Told you all I needed was sleep. How long was I out?"

"An hour or so, not too long. Leetah helped your healing a bit, so it didn't take that long."

"That's good; I'll have to thank her." Moonfell glanced up, "Where are they?"

An awkward silence surrounded the two of them, Skywise taking on a hesitant look on his face before he sat beside her.

"Moonfell…something happened." He started, ignoring her confused expression before he continued, "It's about One-Eye…Leetah healed him, he's alive."

Surprise shined on her pale face, "What?!" She didn't remember this. She knew he had died before he did, Moonfell distinctly remembered that—but she didn't remember this. As Katty Moon she knew she read all the way to at least Tyleet, she even remembered some of that story line.

But this she didn't remember. This, she knew nothing about.

She had forgotten.

Skywise took her surprise to mean something else and he continued, "But, his spirit has passed. He's alive, but not alive."

Confused over her lack of memory yet not knowing if it was a good or bad thing, Moonfell tried to calm her breathing. She was forgetting, she didn't know when it had happened…but she was starting to forget.

And this scared her.

"Moonfell?"

Quickly turning to Skywise, Moonfell stared at him wide eyed. "Poor Clearbrook and Scouter." Was all she could say, all she could really feel over her slight panic at realizing she was forgetting.

Skywise gave her a sorrowful look and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close so he could comfort his friend. "I know, it was a shock to all of us. But we'll be okay…I hope."

Moonfell nodded, burying her face in his chest, "Me too."

Glancing around, Moonfell looked on at the pain and war that the elves had fought. It was a far cry from the war that she knew as a human on Earth, but there was still death. It may not be deaths by the thousands and millions as she was used to, but it was still here.

And still there, like with the wars she knew, were those few survivors that survived to life a half life of morning their loved ones.

'No matter how you look at it,' Moonfell thought, 'Death is death…period. Leetah can fight all she wants, but it will likely come for everyone. We are born dying, even the immortals.'

Shuddering at her morbid thoughts, the girl stood up finally, little Frostbite in her arms. "I wish there will never be war like this ever again. It changes elves."

Skywise nodded, glancing down at Cutter and his family, "Yes, it does."

"I am forgetting." Moonfell continued, watching as the Go-Back woman that had "helped" her with her clothing glare over at them. She remembered her now; she had been one of the women to join with Skywise before the fighting started.

'No wonder…she was jealous.' Moonfell gave a silent snort but continued what she had been saying, voicing her fears. "I am forgetting that which I think I shouldn't, and I'm afraid. Is it because I am finally completely submerged in this world…or something else? It scares me to know that even though I remember some and others do not, it wont matter because we all die in the end."

Pale hands lightly grasped her shoulders, bringing her close to a firm warm chest as Skywise wrapped his arms around her. "Don't say that, we're not going to die. Even if you forget, it's for the best. You wont be haunted by what you know."

"I am; I'm going to die." Moonfell surprised herself in saying the dreaded phrase, "I know it, and I welcome it."

And, shockingly, she was. Moonfell felt no fear at the thought of dying, even welcomed it. This didn't mean that she wanted to die at that exact moment, but it also didn't mean that she would be afraid when it finally happened.

It was strange to come to this realization, yet a relief at the same time. She wasn't afraid, and that was always something to be grateful for.

Skywise seemed shocked by her words, but he said nothing except drag her forward to join the circle singing and dancing for the dead.

Later it was time to finally go to the Castle, and for this Moonfell was most wary. Technically, she was a human—so would she even be allowed inside?

Not wanting to voice her fears, she just followed her brother as they approached a large half finished sphere that surrounded the ship.

"Wow, it's huge." Moonfell stared up at the sky, hardly even able to see where one piece of metal wall ended and started another.

"You may do as you will—I've been patient long enough!" Rayek suddenly shouted, lifting up in the air to take him and Ekura over the wall.

"Cheater!" Moonfell called out, also lifting herself in the air a little from where she stood beside Skywise.

"Why don't you go?" The silver haired male smirked, gesturing up at the sky. He didn't seem that shocked about Moonfell's sudden ability to fly, but then again he probably just assumed she had wished for it.

"I don't have enough strength to lift everyone." Moonfell settled herself back onto the ground, "We should all go together, as one…right?"

Skywise couldn't help but give her a beaming smile, nodding as he wrapped an arm around her, lightly ruffling her hair.

Suddenly troll's appeared, and not just any type of trolls.

Moonfell growled low in her throat, glaring at Picknose and his brood. Flashes of memory that was hers yet wasn't went though her minds eye. She was their slave once upon a time, and she would never forget it.

Walking right up to the now troll king, Moonfell smile cruelly at him.

"Ah, little slave, how are you?" Picknose sneered, right before he got slapped in the face.

"I should just do away with you, you no good dirt monger!" Moonfell practically hissed out, quickly being held back by both Cutter and Skywise.

"Calm down, sister!" Cutter tried to calm her, "I know they wronged you in the past."

"They made me their little slave!" Moonfell snapped, her fangs flashing in the light as she kept trying to fight to get to Picknose. Just one more hit, that's all she wanted, just one more hit.

"But they helped us win! We owe them much!" Skywise reasoned.

"It's okay."

Everything stilled as Picknose stepped closer to Moonfell, a smirk on his face. "I now know what being a slave is like, little elf, and we took our retribution in this fight. You deserve the same treatment."

Moonfell stared up at the new King Picknose, well…wasn't that very out of character for him?

"What do you want?"

"Just one more hit." Moonfell immediately answered, blinking up at him innocently.

"Then take it."

Brushing off her brother and Skywise, Moonfell felt herself float in the air and moved so she was right before the troll. Holding back her arm as if she was going to hit him, she instead kicked him in the face.

Smirking at the bloody nose that she had given the troll, Moonfell giggled to herself and floated away, completely ignoring the amused looks of Wolfrider and Go-Back alike.

"She was a slave?" Kahvi asked Leetah, watching the girl land by her brother's side, arms crossed and a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Unfortunately." Leetah sighed, "Cutter and his tribe rescued her right before they found my village."

"You should say thanks when someone does you a favor!" Picknose snorted at Cutter.

Intently listening into their conversation, Moonfell hadn't heard what had been discussed between Kahvi and Leetah.

"But I'll tell you." Picknose continued, lightly sniffling to clear his nasal passageways from blood, "I want to show you once and for all how you've wasted your time. There's nothing of value in the castle. It's been picked over!"

Hazel eyes glanced over at the hole the troll's made in the great wall, a sense of being suddenly enveloping her.

"It's not even a fit place to live! Once you see that, I expect you to mount your pup-dogs and head somewhere far away! The farther the better!" Picknose continued, only to be ignored, "I'm king here now and I don't want any more trouble from you!"

Rolling her eyes as she picked up Frostbite from where he had been hunting a small snow mouse, Moonfell followed her family inside. She mentally braced herself just in case she was thrown aside or something because after all, she wasn't really elf now was she?

Taking Suntop by the hand, Moonfell took a deep breath before finally walking the first steps into the large practically glowing castle before her….

And nothing happened.

She wasn't expelled from this place.

Moonfell smiled happily, hugging herself as she stared up at the ceiling of the Palace. So…she was home.

"Oooh!" Suntop giggled happily, "My magic feeling! It tickles all over! Feels good!"

Smirking at the small child, Moonfell lightly ruffled his hair.

"Mother! Father! Aunt Moonfell! That wolf…" Suddenly the small boy pointed to a weak wolf in the corner.

Frowning, Moonfell stared at the wolf, her mind feeling fuzzy. Again she was trying to remember…yet couldn't quite grasp what was about to happen. She knew the would was a High One…but what one? What was going to happen after this?

"Don't go near her!" Leetah tried to stop her son, "She's sick1 there's no telling what she might do!"

"Then you must heal her, mother!" Suntop started forward, "Besides my magic feeling says I should go to her!"

Quickly going to the wolf female, Suntop knelt beside her, "Maybe she's my wolf friend."

"I don't think so, Suntop." Moonfell muttered rushing to his side just as Leetah was.

"Great sun! Wh-What's happening?"

Moonfell watched in shock and awe as the wolf slowly, painfully, shifted it's shape to reveal a woman…and elfish woman.

Stumbling, Moonfell was grateful for Skywise who easily caught her as the Wolfrider's as one gasped.

"Timmorn's blood!" Nightfall swore.

"No…Timmorn's mother!"

Covering her mouth, Moonfell gulped and finally did fall to her knees. It all came back to her with clear clarity; Timmain was the wolf…Timmain, mother to all Wolfriders.

"She was with us in the mountains…and we never knew!" Moonshade whispered, leaning heavily on her lifemate.

"Timmain—she became a wolf to save her tribe and now the palace has returned her to us—as a high one!"

Dewshine, the brave little soul, was the first to move. She slowly approached the High One and wrapped her slain wolf friends hide around Timmain, to warm her.

The High One seemed confused at first as she shakily got to her feet. She looked at others with eyes that said she wasn't exactly seeing them, yet she was. And how she talked, with such an accent that had never graced the ears of those gathered…She really was a high one.

And it wasn't just the way she was so tall.

Shaking all over, feeling as if she was intruding but at the same time belonged, Moonfell was warring within herself. Here was the mother to all Wolfriders, her tribe, herself. Yet, wasn't she human at one point?

It all was just very confusing.

"T-Timmain? I am Cutter. These are the Wolfriders. Your son, Timmorn, was our first chief. Eight and one of his descendants have ruled and died since then."

Suddenly the tall woman turned on Cutter, surprise evident on her face. "Died? Why?" She demanded before it seemed to come to her, "Of course! The blood! This world would not accept us unless we became part of it. So small! A sensible change. Easy to hide—easy to live on scarce meat."

Slowly rising from the ground Moonfell unconsciously held her breath as Timmain then rounded on the trolls, followed by Strongbow.

Strongbow staggered away from the High One, blocking his mind from everyone save his lifemate.

Moonfell mentally wondered about this, considering she had no memory of what was being said, or what will be said. She would have wondered more about this if it wasn't for the fact that Timmain had suddenly turned her forever seeing eyes on herself.

Shrinking away from the tall woman, Moonfell cast her eyes down.

"A human, yet not a human." Timmain said, reaching out to lightly touch Moonfell's large ears, "There you are, but here you're not…strange. But I see, you belong here as if you were born here."

"I was." Moonfell finally looked up, pleading for an agreement from Timmain in her hazel eyes.

"Yes, you were. Yet, too powerful…you need more weakening." Timmain muttered, looking around once again, "I see many wounds here. You are a healer of some small ability?"

Looking down, Moonfell shrank away once again as Leetah explained One-Eye's situation.

'Too powerful?' Moonfell thought, looking down at her hands. 'I had given away all those gifts, and even made it so it's just once a year…do I need to take away more. I don't want to be so power hungry that I end up like the trolls or the humans…or Winnowill.'

Moonfell was seriously worried over her sanity, a streak of cold panic also mixing into it. But she held this in so no one would notice and turned to face the High One, Timmain. No matter what the future held, she would hold her head high.

If she was too powerful, then fine, she'd do something, anything, to weaken herself. She wanted to fit in, wanted to be just like any other Wolfrider. She didn't want to explode from being too powerful and not having enough room to hold all the magic.

She knew one day she would die…but one thing she knew, she wouldn't die because she was so greedy to have too many special powers.

END CHAPTER!