Splintered Dreams
by: Cat Skyfire and Yuuki Miyaka
Chapter Five
When she reached the ground and headed into the forest to hunt, she met up with Flame. "Hunting?" His voice was not friendly.
"Yes," she said.
"I will hunt with you."
"As you wish."He fell into step behind her, watching her closely.
Noticing his regard, Ebony smiled humorlessly. "Did you want me to teach you a thing or two?"
"What do you think you could teach me?"
"You were staring so hard, I wondered if you weren't still a student trying to learn."
"Perhaps there are things you will learn."
"Perhaps. But not, I think, from you."
He gave a barking laugh, and the look he sent her way was almost a cruel parody of the tender gaze Stormseer had had for her the previous night.
"Now, were we hunting, or chattering?"
"I'm hunting." She had the uncomfortable feeling that she's the prey.
"Good. Then be quiet." And with that, she turned most of her attention to the hunt, reserving just enough so that she would not be surprised by anything this "Flame" did.He kept apace of her. She knew that he spent as much time watching her as potential game. She scented a buck branchhorn nearby, at last.
Pulling out her bow and arrow, she prepared for the sighting. His regard was annoying, but not particularly disturbing. She would deal with him as she had to. Ebony stood silently, concealed by the brush around her as she waited for the branchhorn to come into range. She tried to ignore Flame's presence, though something about him irritated her, like a grain of sand in her boots.
Slowly, the branchhorn stepped into range. She could feel Flame move closer to her.With skill borne of long and hard practice, as well as necessity, she sighted swiftly and drew her arrow. When the bolt let fly, it drove itself straight into the branchhorn's neck.
"Very nice..." His breath was right by her ear.
Ignoring Flame's compliment, she walked over to the animal, drawing her arrow out of its place and wiping it on the grass before beginning the field skinning.He stood and observed her. Not her technique, but her.When the animal was cleaned and skinned to her satisfaction, and the meat divided up into usable parts, she used the skin as a makeshift sack to carry the pieces in.
"Yo!" A voice called out from above. Flame growled, and stalked off. A male elf landed near her. His hair was brown, past his shoulders. His vest had playful stitching. He carried a spear. He offered a smile. "Well hunted!"
Ebony shook a curl out of her eyes and shrugged. "It was easy enough. Is the game always this nice?"
"Let me put it this way. Well hunted when stalked by Flame at the same time. The game gets worse come the white cold, but it's usually pretty good. Fishing, too."
At his words, the dark huntress raised an eyebrow. "So that's what you call it. I just assumed that he hadn't the foggiest idea of what he was doing."
"He's a good hunter at times...He...let's just say he wants to be his brother... I'm Redwing, by the way..." He offered his open palm.
She grasped it in a friendly greeting. "Ebony." She narrowed her eyes. "Why does he want to be Stormseer?"
"...who wouldn't..." He chuckled. "...Stormseer was eldest...in Chief's Line...well liked by the maidens...good hunter, friendly..."
"His father doesn't seem too impressed."
"Probably 'cause they're cut from the same leathers. You want a hand carrying all that?"
"I've got it. But thank you." Ebony thought a moment. "What do you mean, they're cut from the same leathers?"
"Too much alike. Breeds conflict. Everything they each dislike in themselves seems magnified in the other."
"Something's been bothering me . . "
"What's that, Ebony?"
"Farsight repeatedly told me that Stormseer puts the tribe in danger. I can't figure out how."
Redwing sat down on a log and patted it. "Have a seat..."
"That long a weaving, huh?" Ebony smiled, settling herself down.
Redwing leaned on his spear. "...Stormseer...has a heart..."
"I've noticed," came Ebony's dry response.
"...No doubt." He smiled. "He ... has made friends with some of the humans... His father considers this a danger."
"I don't consider it a particularly good idea myself."
"Well...he is on good terms with a mother and her cub. He thinks that even one friend among the humans is a good thing... and has refused to stop being friendly with her, or to slay her."
Ebony shuddered lightly, but forced herself to say, "He hopes to eventually make friends with all the humans, doesn't he?"
"...He believes, I think, that the best way to keep them at bay is to elevate their women, and get them to train their young. The women usually want peace...the safety to eat, sleep, and raise their cubs."
"That's what most mothers want for their cubs."
"It's the male humans that tend to want to destroy and rule..."
"And a few of our own who feel that way as well." Ebony's smile was a wry one. She remembered Two-Spear all too well.
"Aye..." His gaze drifted to where Flame had walked off. "...Anyway, Stormseer refused to back down, insisting that even one warning from a woman would be worth it."
"And the woman got in trouble, saving his skin."
"...yes."
"Did she slay the wolf, or did another?"
"It was her mate."
Ebony nodded sagely. "So the tribe was after revenge. But the woman, or her mate?"
"...well... the mate beat the woman...who tried to come to the Holt to talk to Stormseer..."
"And the cub?"
Redwing turned his gaze away.
"Even a human's cub doesn't deserve that."
"...Flame thought otherwise."
Ebony's tone turned very hard. "What do you mean?"
"...You're smart...you figure it out..."
"So who is the true danger to the tribe?"
"...Truth? Probably Flame."
"And he's the one Farsight favors." Ebony shook her head. "Just how *did* Flame come to be the way he is?"
"Flame is...like the tree lizard that looks like a leaf or a branch... he...hides himself well. Farsight doesn't realize, I don't think... He...longs for power, and figures the only way to get that is to get Stormseer out of the way."
"So why is he hunting me?" She laughed briefly. "At least, he seems to be. Am I such a threat?"
"He wants what Stormseer has had from you..."
"Lifemating?" Ebony shook her head. "Why would he want his brother's lifemate?" Such a thought was foreign to her.
"He'd probably settle for mating. I can understand that...you are lovely. But his reasons are more...dark. What his brother has, or he thinks he has, he wants."
Ebony blushed lightly at his compliment, then shook her head. "If Flame knew me, he would not want me for a mate." She smiled a humorless smile. "Just as I do not want him. So all is well, for the moment."
"He doesn't want you for a mate...he wants to take you from his brother."
"That may prove harder than he thinks."
"For both your sakes, I hope so. You have at least one friend here, though."
"I'm not a frightened young cub who will give in at the first sign of fight." She looked puzzled a moment, then asked. "Who are you, anyway, to tell me so much?"
"I'm sure you're not...but every wolf knows it's better to have a pack at your back." He scratched his chin. "I'm Redwing...chief hunter."
"I've done without my pack before." A brief laugh escaped. "This may take some getting used to."
"I'm sure you have...but by choice?"
"By necessity. And I'm prepared in case this time is no different."
"Well...I trust Stormseer's intuition... So I'm a friend."
She stared at him for a long moment, then smiled warmly.
"Come on... they'll be wondering what's up if we take too long out here..."
"Are Challenges common here?"
"What do you mean?"
"As I understand it, I'm going to end up Challenging half the tribe to keep them away from Stormseer."
"Why??"
"An old . . . friend . . . of his brought us the furs last night. She asked me to share."
"...Not the sharing sort?"
"Not with a maiden who tries to seduce my lifemate before my eyes, while ignoring me."
"...and with others?"
Ebony grinned, showing the tiniest glimpse of teeth. "It would depend on the circumstances."
"Well...than you should only to challenge a fourth of the tribe..."
"Ahh. Will I have to Challenge you?"
"For Stormseer's affections?"
She laughed, then sobered. "I hope not." Her brow furrowed. "Will I?"
He smiled warmly. "Nah. While he is quite handsome, I prefer maidens."
She grinned again. "What about hunting rights?"
"....that would depend."
"On?"
"What you want."
"I suppose that will depend on Farsight's answer to my petition."
"...if Farsight lets Stormseer back, and you stay... what do you want?"
"Hunting rights. I'm a hunter as well as a memoryweaver. It's . . . what I do. It's who I am."
"...anyone can hunt. Only one can be responsible for the tribe never going hungry."
"You."
"...That's what I do. Do you challenge that?"
"Not at all. Though I will always help. As long as there's life in me, no tribe of mine ever goes hungry. But that is who you are. And I have never been chief huntress. Nor do I care to be."
"Then we'll get along just fine, I think. You'd make a good second, though."
She blushed again, looking away. "Better not to ask me to protect anyone."
"Why not?"
"Farsight knows." She paused, then sighed. "I'd rather not talk about it any more."
"I trust his judgement... He thinks you're a worthy elf."
As she walked with him to the holt, the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She couldn't help being frightened of the idea of being part of a tribe again.
"One question.." he began, as they walked. "When's the cub due?"
"What cub?"
"You said you're lifemated...right? You Recognized then."
Her brows drew together as she frowned. "No. Why?"
Redwing blinked in amazement. "You mean...he chose you...and you alone...without Recognition?"
Looking very confused, Ebony nodded. "Yes."
"...It's an honor to meet you, then. I would NEVER have thought he'd settle without Recognition... You must be very special indeed."
Ebony's gaze made Redwing begin to wonder if he had grown another arm. "Is he . . . so . . ." She shook her head, at a loss for words.
"So...?"
She spread her hands helplessly. "So . . ."
"...friendly?"
Grasping onto the word desperately, she nodded.
"...well...when he was banished, the ...ah...joke was that the toughest part would be no joining. He was...popular. VERY popular.."
Ebony laughed. "That would explain much. He is not someone . . . I am used to. Not yet, at any rate."
"Heh...they said that nobody could ever say no for any length of time. ...not that they'd want to."
"I certainly wasn't able to."
He chuckled. "Look...if you ever needsleep...feel free to come to my den." He raised his hands before she could take it wrong. "Honest...I'll let you sleep."
She threw back her head and laughed. "You remind me of Strongbow."
"A friend of yours?"
Her eyes misted for a long moment. "My chief hunter. Before."
"Before Stormseer... Well, it's no doubt an honor to be compared to him."
"He taught me to hunt. He and his brother."
"...Obviously a good teacher. You'll be an asset to our tribe."
"*IF* Farsight allows his son back in."
"...any reason he shouldn't?"
"That depends on whether he will allow Flame a say in his decision."
"....Flame would say yes, for fear of his father figuring out the truth about himself."
"If Flame keeps up these little games of his, he will answer to me. And I am not a very merciful elf."
"...Play it careful. His father sees much of Flame's mother in him..."
"What I do will depend on whatIsee in him."
Redwing smiled. "...Stormseer chose well..."
"He chose a fool, but one who will do what she can."
"...You're no fool... A fool would have run."
"Who says I haven't?"
"...you're still here."
"Because I have been a fool in the past. Besides, Stormseer mentioned something about cubs missing."
Redwing's face darkened. "...Yes."
"They will be found."
"I hope so," said another voice. They turned to see Farsight.
Redwing nodded his head slightly. "My Chief..."
"Farsight."
"Ebony. Redwing..."
She smiled pleasantly enough, trying to still the fearful voice in her head.
"Good hunt?" Farsight asked.
"All hers, my Chief."
"I needed to replace what Stormseer and I took last night."
"Why?" asked Farsight. "Is our hospitality...unpleasant to you?"
"Two-Spear's stone points!" Ebony shook her head. "Of course not. But we won't be a burden."
"...Tribesmen are never burdens."
"Then you've made your decision about Stormseer."
"Aye."
"Good. Your son is a good elf."
"As are you."
She stared at him a long moment, gauging how he truly felt before looking away. "I try to be."
He nodded somberly. "Will you donate your hunt to the celebration?"
"It is meant for the tribe to do with as they wish."
"Do you intend to leave, then?"
"I'd rather not leave my lifemate, if you don't mind."
"Then you are part of the tribe... Try to keep that in mind."
"Is there anything special I should know?"
"...like?"
"Like what the last order meant?"
"...You are part of the tribe... your statement...'meant for the tribe to do as THEY wish'...suggests you are not."
"You hear more than I say . . . my chief."
He offered his hand.
She grasped it warmly. "If what Redwing says is any indication, I'm going to like it here."