THE KIN WAR: Chapter 2

AN: Here's the second part of the story. I'll try to finish more chapters as soon as posible, but I can't promise anything since I'm dealing with the last heavy loods of school.
Oh, and I still need a beta, because besides a Dutch/English dictonary I don't have anything to go on. Please someone, trow me a line!!!

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Sweat and blood. The smell of war.

Cutter had smelled it a dosen times before. And the batles from where the smell descended were never pretty. But this one took the crown.
He slamed his fist agains the wall. He knew that there were a lot elves dead, injured or captured. He could feel it radiating from the others, but could he have provented it?
Had he failed as a leader? Should he had called the retreat sooner?
If they had retreated any sooner they wouldn't have been albe to call it a battle! And Picknoses offspring would've gone after them to finish the job for sure.
At least now, they were safe for some time, while both side counted their loses and nursed their injured.
He had done the right thing... ...right?

Being so lost in his own toughts, Cutter hadn't heard Treestump aproach him from behind and he almost jumped when he felt the elder's hand on his shoulder. "You allright chief?"
Cutter could see worry on the older elf his face besides the large gash that went from cheek to nose and was bleeding steadily. "Better then you, I guess." He said as he ripped off a small patch of his tunic to give it to Treestump. "Here, try to stop that bleeding, untill we reach Leetha."
"Thanks lad." The elderly took the patch with a smile though it wouldn't do him that much good. Cutter had started heading trough the caves again with the others but Treestump stopped him. *Don't take it too hard Cutter.* He sended. *You couldn't have done anything else... We'll think of something..*
Cutter nodded. "I hope so. Now, go on. I'll close the line." Treestump did so. And Cutter stayed behind, looking at all the elves pasing trough.

All of them had scratches, bruses or worse. It made Cutter feel so bad for even thinking about asking their help. But they had known the risks and they hadn't objected a single second. And now they were here, sunfolk, go-backs and wolfriders all together. Fighting a war far bigger then any of them could ever imagine.
One, they might not walk away from...

At least Leetha was safe above ground, with Ember. Knowing those two were safe and sound meant more to Cutter then anything in the world. He had lost them once and he would be damned if he let that happen again.
He hadn't been suprised that Ember had objected about staying behind, telling her father that she was a good fighter and that she would be able to help a great deal. But Cutter had convinced her to stay behind so she could take over from him if something were to happen to him. He knew very well, that she would be able to do that, take over from him. Defeating dark magic with your own small tribe proved that theory. She truely was a chief worthy of the wolfriders, he just hoped that she would never have to lead a tribe to war like he had done so many times before. It were those moments that Cutter hated the most about his life. Sending the ones you loved and cared for to risk their lives.

"Cutter?" The cheaf of the wolfriders looked up to stare into the bright brown eyes of Strongbow. And realised in a instant something was terrible wrong. Not only were the eyes telling him that, but also the fact that the archer had spoken instead of sended was an obvious signal. Strongbow hardly ever talked unless it was absolutly nessicarily or worse...
Someone was dead, Cutter was sure of it. Cutter looked around, trying to figure out who had made it, and who had not. But everybody was allready gone. And he hadn't been paying attention to who had made it and who not. He had been to busy to blame himself and feel sorry for himself to even notise who hadn't made it out alive..

"Who?" It came out like a croack and he faced the archman with fear in his eyes.
Strongbow looked down, not able to meet his chiefs eyes when he told him. He was leaning on his bow and looked very tired. Cutter would have thought that he was about to tell him that Leetha had died. But that wasn't posible, she was safe and sound above ground with Ember. And Suntop was far away on his own quest to who knows where. His family was safe.
All except for... His eyes shot wide open and a sweat drop slid down his forhead.
"Skywise?"
Strongbow didn't know what to say to that. But seeing that terrified look in Cutters eyes the only response he could master was: "Sorry."

"No, it can't be... I haven't felt anything. He can't be dead." Cutter however had felt something, a sting in his side, which indicated that his soulbrother had been injured. But he hadn't felt him die. So there was no way that Skywise was dead. He would have known. He was sure of that. "Have you seen him die?" He feared the answere, but he also had to know.
*No, but he was on the other side of the cave with hundreds of trolls between him and us. I was the last one to retreat, and I'm sure he would never been able to make it across.*
"But you haven't seen him die?"
Strongbow sighed. *No, but I'm telling you he's as good as dead. We had to fight our way into that cave and you saw how all the exits were being guarded. He had no where to go. He's either dead, or captured. And in his case I would have prefered dead.*
"But he's not!" Cutter grew angry with the persistency of Strongbow's words and the defiance in the slightly older elf's manners.
He couldn't care that the archer was right or not. He was still the chief of the wolfriders and right now his soulbrother was alive and out there, and he had to find him. He turned the archer his back and started to send. *Fahr? Where are you Fahr? Answere me!*
Strongbow sighed when he saw what his chief was doing. *Cutter... It's no use, there are too many souls in the way. I can't even send to Moonshade to find out where she is... Have.. Have you seen her?*
Cutter stopped sending long enough to look at the archer, then shook his head. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." He clenged his fist. Things had turned out so wrong. He had done all the wrong things with his eyes wide open. And now his soulbrother was gone.
After all these years you'd think that he would know what to do, you'd think that he had all the answeres. But he still manige to screw things up as if he were a pup.

He wasn't about to screw things up this time though, and he headed back to the battlefield. He remembered the look in Skywises eyes when the war for the palace had been over. Cutter hadn't been able to help his soulbrother then, but this time it would be totaly different.

Cutter growled annoyed when Strongbow suddenly stood in his way. The archers bow was on his back again, and there was this determined look in his eyes that even annoyed Cutter more. "Get out of my way, Strongbow..." He warned.
*Cutter, listen to me. You won't be able to do him any good, if you get yourself killed.*
Cutter just glared at him, and Strongbow realised that this wasn't Cutter kinseeker anymore.
Before him stood Cutter, son of Bearclaw. And he was about to safe his brother without thinking things trough.

Though Strongbow had learned to respect his chief a long time ago, there had been times before when Strongbow was the rebel of Cutters tribe. Always challenging Cutter, and pointing out his flaws. But he had also been the one remembering Cutter of "The Way". It seemed, no felt, as if they had gone back in time and Strongbow had to retake his role to redirect his chief...
But that was a lie! There was no one in this world that Strongbow would folow otherwise then Cutter. His friend was only blinded by loss at the moment, and he had to remind him to who he was, and the responsibility he had.
*Cutter, listen to me!* He tried again. *You're leading four tribes to war, and the odds are agains us. You can't let the need of one outway the needs of many!*
"Ember will take over for me. She's capable enough."
*I know she's capable, but do you really want to put her trough all that?*
At this remark, Cutter backed up. And started to think things trough.
Strongbow sighed in releaf, at least they weren't going to lose their leader anytime soon. But Cutter still seemed uncertain so Strongbow added: *Skywise is probably captured, so we have to win this war in order to safe him.*
Cutter nodded. But the tought that they may not be able to win this war made him shiver. And without another word, he headed back to the others, back to Leetha who was still safe and sound.
It was the only thought that kept him going.

Strongbow followed silently and took one last look back into the darkness of the caves, knowing that they would soon be coming back here, again.
And who knew what the outcome of that particulary batle would be...

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AN: Hmmmm... I was thinking of the beginning of the war for the palace when I wrote this. You know, the whole comotion over One-eye, and the way Clearbrook reacted to it. Undifyingly human (or elfish if you'd prefere).
I've also been intrigued by Cutters and Strongbow's relationship. I've noticed how their relation has changed since the very fist EQ albums and when the Palace came back from it's trip to the future. It must be one of the most dramatic changing relationships between two elves, or am I wrong?
I'd love to hear peoples oppinions! Give me! Give me! Give me!
Or... *pouts* am I not good enough? I did finish this chapter in record time... Reward me!!!

;) V.

PS: Don't know what's going to happen next. I'm thinking either Leetha and Ember or Skywise again. Don't know yet though...