CRYSTAL
Birchbark woke up from someone gently shaking her shoulder. Groggily she opened her violet eyes, to look straight into her mother's bright green ones.
"Wake up, cubling," Crystal said. "Today is Taal-day."
Birchbark was instantly wide awake. Of course! Today was the day she would join a game of Taal for the first time! Quickly she scrambled out of her furs and into her clothes. She grabbed her leather headband and, while still tying it around her head, joined her mother on the branch outside their den, where she had been waiting.
Birchbark looked around. It was fairly early in the morning, a clear day late in the warm season. Normally the Holt members would prefer the cooler night to be awake, but Taal was played in the full light of the sun. Birchbark crouched down and jumped off the branch to the ground, which was fairly close, as she and her parents had one of the lower dens in the Holt. Her wolf-friend Flight, who was dozing at the bottom of the tree, woke up from the soft thud of Birchbark's feet next to him and gave her a sleepy look.
** Hunt? ** was his first response to seeing her, the one question that always seemed to be on a wolf's mind.
"No, not today my friend," Birchbark replied. "Today I'm going on a different hunt. One that I don't need your help with."
Flight immediately put his head back on his paws again, with a gesture that almost suggested that he didn't understand why anyone would want to be awake in the heat of the sun anyway. Birchbark smiled and turned her attention back to her mother, who had started towards the gathering-place.
Several tribesmembers were already waiting there, talking and laughing with each other, clearly enjoying the prospect of a game of Taal. Birchbark looked at the people gathered. Wildstar and Dreamberry, obviously. They never missed a game of Taal. Silverblade, Lark, Nettle, Mystic, Colorcast… The rest of the players hadn't arrived yet. About half of the tribe would be playing this time, the rest would be staying at the Holt to guard the cubs, or just because they didn't feel like Taal this time.
Wildstar turned to Birchbark and Crystal. "Where are your Taal-sticks?"
"Timberdust has them," Crystal replied. "He's been carving on them again… You know how he is, one of these days there will be nothing left of them. Luckily Birchbark's Taal-stick is still new, there should be plenty of wood left on that one for him to carve off."
Wildstar grinned, and at that moment Timberdust came walking towards the group. He handed his lifemate and daughter their sticks and nodded his acknowledgement of her presence towards the chieftess.
"Not joining us today then, carver?" Wildstar asked.
"No," Timberdust replied, "I have a new piece of wood that I'd like to work with today. Next time maybe."
"Well, we'll just have to tell you tonight how your daughter has fared," Wildstar said. "If she's anything like Crystal, none of us will stand a chance." She winked at Crystal, who was renowned for her love of Taal and her skill at the game. Crystal smiled and sent a fond look towards Birchbark.
"I've decided to stay with her, for a while at least, so I can help her out a bit," she said.
Wildstar nodded. "I'm sure you'll do well, Birchbark," she said. "You've shown good hunting promise."
Birchbark blushed. She was two eights turns of the seasons old now, old enough not to be considered a cub anymore, and she had already been on her soul-name quest, but she still felt a bit intimidated by the chieftess' presence. "I'll do my best," she replied shyly.
By now all the players had gathered and were ready to go.
"Ayoooh, packmates!" Wildstar howled. "Time to spread out. You all know the boundaries that have been set for today's game, so go now, and good luck!"
The players quickly started disappearing, and Crystal beckoned Birchbark to follow her. Birchbark concentrated on moving soundlessly, but leaving enough markings that their trail could be followed, according to the rules of Taal. They disappeared into the underbrush and headed towards the river. Crystal was in the lead, and occasionally she lock-sent instructions to her daughter.
** Remember, Taal can be played in groups or individually. In groups it's easier, as you don't have to watch all directions at once, but alone it's more of a challenge. **
Birchbark nodded, though Crystal couldn't see it, as she was in front. It didn't matter, she just kept sending her advice and pointing out markings as she saw them.
Birchbark held up her own well: she did get counted twice, but had already managed to count Nettle, Summerset and Mystic when Crystal sent, ** You're doing well, cubling. You lead for a while.**
Birchbark gripped her Taal-stick even tighter in her already sweaty hands, but she nodded and moved in front of her mother. Looking carefully about her, she noticed a broken twig on a bush and a few broken grass-stems a while ahead. She tried to concentrate on both the markings and her environment, and started following the trail.
It was difficult to follow and led all the way towards the far boundary of the game area, but Birchbark was able to track it, and she and her mother quickly and quietly moved through the undergrowth, until Birchbark suddenly got a whiff of a scent in her nostrils. She hesitated, then stood still.
** What's wrong? ** Crystal sent.
** I'm not sure…I smell something, but I'm not sure I recognize it… ** Birchbark replied.
Crystal moved next to her daughter and carefully sniffed the air. ** What do you think? ** she sent.
** It smells of bristle-boar… But something is different. **
At that moment there was a rustling in the bushes to the left of them, and a brown snout poked out of the brush, soon followed by a round body. Crystal tensed.
** You're right ** she sent. ** It is a boar, and it has young. That's what you're smelling. **
**Young? ** Birchbark replied in amazement. **At this time of the season?**
** Don't ask me how or why, cubling, but be very careful. Bristle-boars are dangerous and unpredictable under normal circumstances; even more so when they have young.** She glanced about quickly, careful not to move any other part of her body, then sent, ** That tree behind us. Back up towards it slowly, try not to act threatening. **
Birchbark nodded slowly, keeping her eyes on the boar, who had focused her beady eyes on the twosome and regarded them with infinite mistrust. Slowly and carefully the young elf stepped back a pace. Crystal followed her example. Birchbark made another pace, but then, suddenly, the boar made a decision. The two tall things in front of her were a threat to her young, she decided, and charged.
Crystal's first reflex was to grab her sword, but then she remembered that they were playing Taal and had no weapons. They were defenseless.
"Run!" she shouted as loudly as she could, both in an attempt to scare the boar as to warn her daughter. From that moment, everything seemed to be happening in slow-motion from Birchbark's perception.
At her mother's shout she turned around and scrambled towards the tree, expecting Crystal to follow. After only a few paces though, she was stopped short by a heart-piercing cry of pain. She looked around again and was faced with the horrible sight of her mother crashing to the ground, her belly torn open by the bristle-boar's tusks.
"Mother!!!" she screamed.
"Get into that tree!!" Crystal managed to shout. Then the breath was knocked out of her when the boar butted her in the side with its head.
"But….No!" Birchbark replied, gripping her Taal-stick tight, intending to attack the boar with it, to poke it, hit it, anything to get it away from her mother.
** Now!!** Crystal sent. Her mind-voice was filled with pain; enough pain to make Birchbark realise she was beyond saving. Still she hesitated, then the boar fixed her attention from her mother on her.
** Shey, now!! ** Crystal sent again, with even more urging. The boar grunted, and finally Birchbark snapped out of it. With tears streaming down her face she scrambled up the tree and onto the branch that was almost directly above the boar and Crystal's huddled frame. Her head was full of incoherent thoughts. 'Must get the boar away…throw something…might hit mother…can't do anything with that boar there…must get it to go…need help…can I throw something?' Suddenly she did the only thing she could: she started sending.
** Help!**
No response.
** Help!! Father!! Wildstar!! Help!!**
It was no use. They were too far away, there was no one at this end of the playing field. She tried again, sending frantically, straining her ability to the limit: **Someone!! Help!! Please, help!!**
** Birchbark? ** came a faint response.
** Help!! ** she sent again, unable to send anything else.
** Birchbark! What's wrong? **
Birchbark was beyond reasoning. She didn't recognize the mind-voice that was answering her, she didn't have the presence of mind to send a coherent response, she didn't even realize when she started sending out the jumble of impressions that tumbled around in her head: Crystal's torn body, the charging boar, the tree she was sitting in; it all became blurred together in a confusing stream of thoughts.
Mystic, who was the one who had heard her, stood still and closed his eyes, trying to make sense of the mind-pictures he received. He had just teamed up with Summerset when he heard Birchbark's cry for help, and had indicated his companion to stop with a gesture.
"What's up?" Summerset whispered.
** It's Birchbark, something's wrong. ** Mystic replied. Summerset instantly opened her mind to her full ability.
"Where? I don't hear her," she said.
** I hardly can, she's barely within my reach. ** He paused for a moment, then continued,
** There seems to be something wrong with Crystal. **
Summerset felt her heart sinking. She looked about herself quickly, double-checking where they were, which was fairly close to the Holt, then sent. **Timberdust! ** The reply came instantly.
** I know, I'm on my way. So is Purehaven. **
Summerset nodded. Of course he knew, he and Crystal were Recognized after all. ** Follow our sendings ** she sent. ** Mystic knows where they are. ** Then she turned to Mystic and said, "Lead. And try sending for Wildstar, she might be within your range."
Mystic nodded and set out towards Birchbark's sendings at a good trot.
Birchbark, meanwhile, was still sitting in her tree. Her vision was blurred by tears, but she had finally realised that help was on the way. She started sending to her mother.
** Mother? **
** Shey, my daughter…**
** Help is coming mother, please hold on. **
** I can't be helped, cubling. It's my time. **
** No! Help is coming ** Birchbark sent stubbornly, trying to ignore the fact that Crystal's mind-voice was weakening with every word.
** Farewell, my beloved cubling…** came Crystal's last thoughts. Then there was nothing.
** Mother? Mother! Mother!!! ** Birchbark sent, but she knew she would never get another reply. "Noooooo!!" she screamed, bursting into a new fit of sobbing and pummeling her fists on the branch. The boar, who was still standing close to Crystal, startled, then decided it was time to leave. Neither of the tall things seemed a threat anymore, it was time to return to her young. The animal turned around and disappeared into the bushes again.
The moment it had left, Birchbark let herself drop out of the tree and ran to Crystal. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that the boar could still return, but she didn't care. She dropped to her knees next to her mother and hugged her still form, cradling Crystal's head in her lap and sobbing uncontrollably.
It was like that that her tribesmates found her. Timberdust and Purehaven had caught up with Summerset and Mystic, and they had been able to reach Wildstar on their way. The four of them almost tumbled into the clearing in their haste, Wildstar arrived only a moment later. Timberdust had known his lifemate was dead when all his sending didn't receive a response, but he had refused to believe it until he saw her lifeless body. He dropped to the ground next to his daughter and flung his arms around both, his shoulders trembling with the first sobs.
Purehaven hardly needed to look at Crystal to know that he was too late. Even if she had still been alive when he arrived, he knew there wasn't much he could have done. He looked at Wildstar and made a helpless gesture. Wildstar nodded.
"Leave them for a moment, but keep your eyes open for that boar," she said softly. "Tonight we will howl for Crystal."
And that's what they did. Timberdust carried his lifemate's body back to the Holt, his legs walking mechanically and his eyes focused on nothing. Birchbark followed him with the same mechanical step, oblivious to anything but the heart-pain that numbed her mind. When the time had come, all the tribe gathered together. Timberdust placed Crystal's body in the circle, and with infinite tenderness removed the three brown feathers that she had always worn in her hair. Then he stepped back, and father and daughter held each other close while they howled out their grief together with the rest of the tribe. It was all they could do.