To Chrissy, for her help, support, and friendship.
Ebony's Weavings:
Chapter Thirty-Six
These Dreams
Ebony stood on the rock ledge, staring out at the desert. She could almost imagine that she could still see Rayek's tracks headed back toward the Tunnel of Golden Light, but it had been an eight-of-days, and the wind had already obliterated all traces that Rayek had ever come this way. Something within Ebony wouldn't let him go without a fight, some sense that she and he would have been good friends, as good of friends as he ever could have been with a "barbaric Wolfrider."
The thought brought a smile to her lips, but it was a sad smile, and it didn't reach her eyes. She thought about everything that had happened, and she wondered what had gone wrong, why he had been so tender to her, and so angry at the same time. Why had Cutter's entrance spoiled everything that could have happened with him and any other Wolfrider?
But even as she considered the question, she knew the answer. Leetah. The soft healer had held Rayek's eye in a way no one else ever could, and nothing Ebony could have done would have changed his mind about it. So Rayek had to leave, and Ebony watched after his lone shadow as it slowly faded from the Sun Villagers' memories.
She was silent as a shadow herself these days, not joining in the celebrations wondering what her place in this tribe truly was. And she often came up here, visiting the place she had last seen Rayek. It was her place to think, her place to consider what was happening, and why they were even here.
Today was different, though. As she sat there, she felt someone come up behind her. She smiled, remembering how concerned Skywise had been when she had started disappearing the way she did. He had followed her, no doubt planning to talk some sense into her, some happiness that she was here and Rayek wasn't. And the person behind her touched her shoulder as greeting, rather than speaking. Ebony's smile reached her eyes now, and she turned.
It wasn't Skywise at all, was her first thought. Her second was to launch herself into this elf's arms, to gather his body to hers and hold him close. And her third thought was his name. Rayek.
Rayek had not been prepared for her "assault," Ebony could tell. He stiffened at first, then relaxed again as he realized that she was hugging him in welcome. And she finally pulled away, smiling into his eyes. "You're back!" she said, huskily. Her tongue felt thick, and her eyes filled with tears. "I didn't think you'd come back. You were so angry."
"Maybe I just wanted to see Leetah happy," he said hastily, and Ebony could tell that Rayek was not sure he liked her greeting. Or perhaps he was afraid he liked it too much. He saw her look, and something made him change his words. "Maybe I wanted to see if you were happy." He paused. "Are you?"
"I am now," she asserted, grabbing his hand and leading him down to a small ledge. "I like this view." Her hand dropped from his, and he ran his own hands over her shoulders, touching her gently. His lips touched her throat, and Ebony growled softly. "I like this, too."
She sat bolt upright, looking around the cave in desperation. Another dream, just like all the others. It had felt so real, she could almost believe that somewhere in this cave of hers, Rayek was waiting for her. But that was ridiculous. He was probably long past the Tunnel of Golden Light, if he had even survived the trek through the desert, if he had found the Tunnel easily. He could be farther away now than she had ever journeyed herself, and she would never know. Because he would never come back.
Ebony hugged herself tightly, listening to the silence of the cave she had once shared with Cutter and Skywise. And she cried.
Author's Notes:
Poor Ebony. She's fixated. Of course, she gets that from me. I am, after all, a contributing member of R.A.S.H. But seriously, it's been almost a year since I wrote the last Weavings, and after such a long disappearance, it's nice to be back. I'm hoping to have these stories posted regularly now, so if you like the series, bookmark the Table of Contents and check back with me periodically.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Home Sweet Home
"Admit it, One-Eye. You should take my cave and you know it!" Ebony's grin was contagious, the others found, and they smiled themselves as they watched One-Eye and Ebony argue. Ebony shook her head, pushing back dark curls with one hand. "You and Clearbrook wanted to cave with Scouter, Dewshine, and Treestump from the first. And that cave is more than big enough for all of you. I just rattle around in it like a single tooth in aged wolf's mouth."
Clearbrook shook her head, laughing slightly. "Lifemate, Ebony has made a good point. Perhaps we should accept her generosity." One-Eye nodded again, thanking Ebony as he gathered up an armload of furs. They all knew that it wouldn't be hard to move Ebony out. Two or three furs, and she'd be a distant memory in the cave.
As Ebony stepped out of the crowded cave, she noticed Savah standing in the rocks below. Heat crept up her face as she remembered her dreams and she wondered what Savah would think of Ebony's fixation on the old hunter. "Sweet Water, Savah. Didn't expect to see you here!"
Savah smiled the smile of the wisely ancient, and nodded at Ebony. Only when the dark huntress was right before the aged elf did Savah speak. "Shade and Sweet Water to you, huntress. I heard your complaint, and I think I have a good answer to it." Savah's words puzzled Ebony.
"Complaint, Mother of Memory? I have no complaints . . . ." Inwardly, Ebony cringed. Had Savah realized how very much Ebony wished that Rayek would return?
"You mentioned you were rattling around in your old cave. And this one also seems large for just one elf." Ebony nodded, and Savah smiled. "As it happens, there is a hut in the Village that would be well-suited for your purposes. It even offers a small workroom to make weapons."
"It's Rayek's old hut, isn't it?" Ebony stated grimly. She saw Savah nod peacefully, and she shook her own head. "Savah, I can't. It's not right." But as they approached the door to the hut, Ebony couldn't help but peek inside.
What she saw surprised her. Here was Rayek's hut, and it almost mirrored her own cave. Nothing in it of interest. It could almost be believed that he didn't even live here. Well, he didn't. But it could be believed that he never had. She turned questioning eyes to Savah.
"He was a loner, little huntress. Much like you are. I suspect that the two of you would have been fine friends, had he stayed. Instead, I can only offer his hut and duties to you. The Sun Village can use a good huntress, and you can use a new place to live. It is a fine trade."
Ebony nodded slowly, accepting what Savah said. As the Mother of Memory left, Ebony slipped into the hut, wandering around. And her eyes fell on the soft cushions that made up Rayek's bed. She walked over to it, and she could still catch a slight whiff of his scent. This would not help her dreams . . . .
Ebony shook her head, going over to a small pitcher and basin sitting on a ledge built into the wall of the hut. It was obviously for washing, and the pitcher was bone-dry. She shook her head, deciding that the first order of business was to go fill the pitcher with some water. Perhaps that would help to make the hut hers.
The trek took a few minutes only, and Ebony found herself staring at the walls of the hut again. It was beautifully decorated, though she couldn't imagine Rayek doing it. Most likely, Leetah had insisted. Ebony could imagine that with ease.
As she looked at the walls, she noticed a small door to one side of the room. When she opened it, she saw it led downwards, into darkness. Trusting her eyes, she slowly walked down into the darkness. And she could barely make out anything, until she found a small candle and some rocks that would make flame.
She lit the candle, then gasped as she slowly turned. This was where Rayek had truly lived. It was a workroom of weapons, spears, knives, everything. But more than that, it had his personality more than anything that Ebony had ever seen. She couldn't even begin to describe it.
She ran her hands over some of the weapons, touched the workbench in awe. And then she saw it. A necklace, perhaps, fashioned after Rayek's own necklace. Three claws hung from the golden cord. But the cord was braided, and peeking out of the braid was a black cord of some kind. Was this necklace for Leetah, or for someone else? And why would Rayek have made it in the first place, if he was leaving . . .? Would she ever know?
Author's Notes:
Ebony strikes me as the right person to take over Rayek's duties. And who knows? Her thoughts of Rayek may fade over time. She may even find a lovemate of her own, rather than being a loner.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Two?
"Remember, two gourds full of dreamberries say it's a girl." Pike's reminder made Ebony laugh, and she nodded. "And two say it's a boy, Pike." It didn't really matter to her what the cub was. It was a celebration, because it was a cub. That's all that mattered.
In the past two years since Cutter and Leetah's Recognition, Leetah and Ebony had reached an uneasy friendship. Ebony found it hard to forgive the brash healer for hurting Cutter the way she had, and Leetah found it difficult to deal with the aloof Wolfrider. But, because Cutter was at the core of both of them, they learned to find ways around their discomfort. And now Ebony was waiting impatiently for the cubling to arrive.
She saw Cutter walk to the door, saw Shenshen push him out of the way. She laughed at that, remembering Rain trying to keep Bearclaw out of the den as Joyleaf gave birth. And she laughed harder when she saw Cutter pull his sword on Shenshen. Her eyes widened as she stared at him, and she slowly moved away from the door, allowing him entrance.
Cutter was gone for a long time, and when he returned, he had a surprise for them all. He bore, in his strong arms, two bundles. Skywise was the first to find his voice.
"T-two?" Skywise echoed what they all felt. Shock, surprise, disbelief warred within Ebony as she strained to find her own voice and failed.
"Uh-huh. Boy and girl." Cutter's grin was wide enough to split his face, and his eyes shone with a deep pride. Ebony finally made her way to her chief's side, and he put one of the bundles in her arms. Ebony held the cubling gingerly, looking down to see bright blue-green eyes and dark skin. Cutter nodded to her bundle and said quietly, "Our daughter. This is our son, here." And he held up his own bundle. The twins had been cast out of the same mold, it was obvious, but they were not identical. Anyone with presence of mind could tell them apart. But Ebony was amazed to hear some of the Villagers commenting on how they couldn't tell the differences between the two.
As Ebony held the cubling, she wondered for a brief moment what would have happened if Crossbow had lived, if he had been able to lifemate her. And she considered what their cublings might have looked like. Black hair, brown eyes. And if that cub was anything like the sire, a smile as bright as the sun after a rainstorm.
Ebony's eyes filled with tears, and she handed the bundle over to Skywise, who looked at her in alarm. Mumbling something about gourds, she ran off, back to her hut. And once there, she threw herself down on the linens that made up her bed, crying piteously. It had been so long since she had thought about Crossbow. She had never dared let herself, because her tribe needed her. But now, now she had time, and it still hurt like a fresh wound. And what was worse, her image of her cub slowly changed to a small one with curly black hair and amber eyes. And she sobbed more, certain that she would never know that feeling, and would probably never know anything other than what it was like to serve her tribe.
"It's enough." Her words lacked conviction, so she repeated them, again and again, until she had convinced herself. "The tribe is all I need." And perhaps, by the end of her mantra, she believed those words. Perhaps . . .
Author's Notes:
Ebony can live without love, but she's had to for several years now, with no end in sight, and now she doesn't even have the two she used to share furs with when they got bored. Skywise and Cutter are paired up, and she's still alone. It's going to take some doing for her to get used to it.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
New Students
"Do you think someday I will be as good a hunter as Father, Ebony?" Ember's soft question made Ebony smile as she looked at the younger elf. Ember was her star pupil, and the two of them were like peas in a pod. All of the Villagers and Wolfriders commented on it. And Suntoucher often teased the flame-haired cubling that one day she would grow up to be a dark huntress herself. But Ember was more concerned about growing up to be like her father, the chief of the Wolfriders.
"Yes, Ember. Perhaps, someday, you will even be a better hunter than Cutter. Only the High Ones know for certain." Ebony's words pleased the cub, who ran off to tell her mother what Ebony had said. And Ebony smiled after her.
Ember had been Ebony's student almost since birth. And Ebony loved her role in the young elf's life, loved the fact that she was such a part of Ember's "now". And Ebony and Leetah had long since reached an acceptable accord. Ebony now even liked the healer, for all that it had taken three years for that acceptance to come.
As Ebony looked out over the desert, another young elf came up, this time pulling softly at her tunic. She looked down to see bright yellow hair and blue-green eyes, and she grinned again. "Ebony, will Father like me if I don't grow up to be like him?" Suntop's questions always had a way of cutting to your heart, Ebony had noticed, and now was no exception. She squatted, looking the little elf directly in the eyes.
"Suntop, your father loves you, and always will. If you don't grow up to be chief, you'll grow up to be someone else he will be proud of. That much, I am certain of. Don't try to be what you aren't, little cub. Just be what you are." She grinned again, and swung him into her arms.
At that moment, Minyah appeared, a bushel of plants in her arms. "You love those cubs as if they were your own, Huntress. Why not give some thought to a lovemate and family yourself, instead of stealing Leetah's all the time?" The old Villager had a smile on her face that Ebony couldn't help but answer.
"I'm content as I am, Minyah. I have a family here, Skywise, Cutter, Leetah, the twins. And I have a place here. What more do I need?" And as she finished, Suntop jumped from her arms, dancing around her in happiness.
"That's right, Ebony! Be what you'll be! Just like you said." His small form danced patterns of sunlight between the two older elves, and Minyah grinned once more.
"Just don't forget that there are others out there who search out your company, Huntress. The furs grow cold when slept in alone." Minyah walked away, and Ebony nodded. It had been months since she had thought about it, but the furs were cold whenever she slept these days. Perhaps Skywise would share . . .
Author's Notes:
Ebony has gained two new students, and she loves them both. That's something I've always liked about Ebony, is her sincere love of cublings. And she's finally gotten rid of her Rayek fixation. That's great too. Whoo-hoo. Soon we start book 2. I'm looking forward to it.
Chapter Forty
First Howl
Ebony stared out at the assembled Wolfriders, and grinned softly. She had long considered the idea that perhaps the twins were old enough to join a Howl, but that had been up to Cutter. And tonight was their first taste of what it was like to be a true Wolfrider.
Everyone had come, from Strongbow to Rainsong, she noticed. But some were not as comfortable in their place as they had been in the past. Somewhere along the path, they had become set in their ways, Sun Villagers in their own rights. And Ebony wondered when Cutter was going to face that fact.
But Leetah was there, and she no longer seemed out of place. Where some of Ebony's tribe had become Villagers, Leetah had become Wolfrider. She was part of the tribe in as much sense as Ebony was, and Ebony liked that. It was a good feeling, knowing that there was always someone there to help. Which is why she loved her tribe.
And Ebony grinned as she noticed the expressions on both twins' faces. Shock and delight were the primary expressions, but that was not all. Within Ember, she could feel a sense of rightness, a sense that this was her place. And within Suntop, she could feel unease. As always, he was slightly uneasy with the idea that he was a Wolfrider.
Ebony frowned at that. She loved Suntop, and wanted to see him happy. But he would never truly be happy as a Wolfrider, and everyone could see that. Ebony had to wonder what place there was out there for him, though. As she thought about it, she noticed him walking around the circle, and she made a place for him beside her. He grinned, cuddling against her as she turned her attention to Cutter.
"It is the first Howl my cubs have been able to join us, and I want this to be a true memory for them. Pass around the dreamberries! Let Ebony tell her stories. Let the tribe sing. Let us wake the Villagers with our happiness!" Cutter's enthusiasm gripped everyone, who in turn grabbed handfuls of berries and settled down, waiting for Ebony to begin her stories. And she noticed that while Ember did as her father, grabbing as many dreamberries as her little hands could hold, Suntop did as Ebony, grabbing none. This, too, was a difference, and Ebony sighed gently as she noticed it. Someday, something would happen, somehow, Suntop would find his place. But that would not be today.
Author's Notes:
Okay, so it's short. I didn't have much to write about. The next five chapters begin the story of book two, begin the Quest. So for those of you who have been waiting, here it is!!