Splintered Dreams
by: Cat Skyfire and Yuuki Miyaka
Prologue
Ebony, Cutter, and Skywise sat on their hill, looking out at the stars. Skywise was trying to show them the pictures again, but neither of the others could see them. Cutter was worried, and Ebony could guess why. He'd been distracted ever since the human ceremony, and he was beginning to make both of them worry.
"Cutter, what's wrong?" Skywise's gentle question was full of worry, and Ebony sighed.
"I . . . never killed a human before. Didn't think it could be done. Something bad will happen soon. I feel it."
Skywise and Ebony traded looks, smiling. The huntress spoke. "You're full of dreamberries!"
"What can the humans do to us?" Skywise asked. "They're afraid to come near our holt." But even as the words were spoken, the wolf-pack began to howl a warning. All three jumped up, worried. Cutter and Skywise waited for their wolves as Ebony hurried back to the holt.
When she arrived, she heard the summons from Cutter, and heard that he did not call Redlance. She ran into the small room Nightfall and Redlance shared, looking just long enough to make sure that he was still healing and was not jeopardizing his health. Then she headed out to Cutter, arriving in time to hear her chief yelling at a human.
" . . . Your tribe as well as mine!!!" She was afraid to know what he was talking about. And then, before her eyes, she saw the human touch his torch to dry brush. The plant ignited, and wind roared in her ears. She couldn't hear anything or anyone but the fire. And her only thought was to get back to the tribe. They had to get out of the forest before they all died.
The preparations for leaving were panicked, everyone terrified. Many of the elves were trying desperately to gather what they could. She, fortunately, had the most important things on her. And even as she took stock of the evacuation, she saw something she couldn't bear to think about.
Strongbow and Moonshade's second child, Dart's little sister, had wandered a ways off into the forest, and as it happened, that was one of the areas it was impossible to get to. There was no way to save the child. As Ebony took stock of the situation, Moonshade saw what had happened.
Ebony yelped, grabbing the tanner and dragging her away. They would lose one tribemember this night. There was no point in losing more. Cutter heard Ebony's yelp, and saw what was happening himself. With a cry of his own, he grabbed Strongbow as the archer tried to get past.
Cutter and Ebony didn't see what happened to the girl once known as Warbler. She disappeared into the flames as they dragged Strongbow and Moonshade away. But they would howl for her, when they could, if they survived.
Moonshade turned on Ebony, her hand coming up too swiftly for the dark huntress to avoid. As the slap resounded through the burning forest, Moonshade's eyes turned deadly. "How dare you? How dare you come between my child and me?" As Ebony stared at the tanner blankly, Moonshade grabbed Ebony's tunic, shoving the dark huntress against a nearby tree.
"You were never part of this tribe. You were an orphan, a lost little nobody that Skywise took pity on. How dare you destroy the life of a true Wolfrider? You are nothing more than a cubkiller."
As Ebony opened her mouth to point out that it wasn't her fault, Moonshade turned her back. "Get out of my sight, Ebony." Ebony's eyes were bleak as she regarded Moonshade's back, but the tanner took no pity, only speaking into her mind. ::I thought your name was wrong for you when you chose it, when you chose to be called Ebony after Madcoil's black mind. Now I find it fitting.::
At Moonshade's words, Ebony straightened slightly. Her last tie to the Wolfriders had been broken by the tanner's statement. And Ebony couldn't bear it. She turned, running away from the tribe, away from her soul-sibs, from her friends and family. Straight into the fire.