It was a clear, sunny day, one of the first warm days that Season of New Green. Skywise found
it hard to sleep. Something felt out of place, yet not exactly wrong. Different. As if she was
someone else and not Skywise at all. As if she was dreaming and aware of it but unable to wake
herself. As if she was drunk – but no, she hadn't touched Pike's dreamberries for days. She got
dressed and climbed out from their den, leaving her lovemate asleep. On the branch she met
Joyleaf, who was making a new flower garland to wear in her hair. Skywise did not know where the
words came to her tongue, but she found herself asking:
"Where's Cutter?"
Joyleaf smiled, as if she knew a secret or something. Then again, Joyleaf often smiled like that.
"He went to try his new bow. He said he couldn't wait until night. He won't be long."
Skywise did not know why she was so glad her brother would be back soon. She did not remember
ever having missed him so much, but she knew not why. There was nothing special to show him or
tell him, nor any reason to worry. He was old enough to take care of himself now.
Cutter did indeed return soon, with a freshly killed rabbit in his hand. Skywise climbed down
to meet him. Cutter called out proudly:
"I got him on my first try!"
"Either the bow is much better than your old one, or you've finally learned to aim!"
"Skywise…" Cutter walked very close to her. Suddenly he drew his knife and cut something
loose from the insides of the gutted rabbit.
"The meat goes to Moonshade and Rainsong, naturally." He said, referring to the two
lifebearers.
"But I would like to give you this." He held out the still-warm heart of the animal.
Skywise reached out her hand and took the strange gift. Usually, the heart was given to a
lovemate. But of course, Cutter did not have one yet, so he had to make do with a sister. And
what was that nervous scent Skywise sensed from him? Of course. She should have guessed. He was
about to ask for some favour or other, and the gift was meant to soften her. She met his eyes
with her customary grin.
And looked deeper than she had ever looked before. Straight into his soul.
Tam?
Fahr?
Cutter stood back, startled. Then he caught her in a tight embrace. They stared each other for a
long while, drinking in familiar features transformed by the force of Recognition.
"But you are so young…" Skywise tried to protest.
"I'm old enough." As if to prove it, she lifted her off her feet.
"Whee!"
Other voices joined Skywise's laughter. Joyleaf had woken everyone with a sending.
"Well, strike me with skyfire!" Bearclaw exclaimed. "My cub is not a cub anymore."
Joyleaf laughed and ruffled his hair:
"Two turns from now we'll be grandparents. How does that sound like, Old Badger?"
The chief found no answer.
"The High Ones have truly blessed us," Rain the Healer stated.
"First Strongbow and Moonshade will have their second go at it, then my little Rainsong goes and
Recognizes Woodlock, and now you two."
Pike and Redlance sat on a branch almost directly above Skywise and Cutter. If Pike meant to
whisper, his voice was too loud for them not to hear it:
"Cutter doesn't know what a striped buzznest he's stepping in. He is going to be nutmash.
Totally."
Tam, what about Pike? He's my lovemate. Could we…
Tree with him? Of course.
Skywise looked up and called out:
"You won't be off the hook so easily, Pike! Would you like to tree with us?"
"Thank you, but no. Not right now at least. The High Ones know I need some rest!"
Skywise laughed.
Cutter was beginning to feel a bit apprehensive of the whole Recognition thing. Maybe he's been just a bit too hasty to assure her of his maturity? Everyone knew about Skywise and her love of sharing. Cutter had heard she'd been with half the male wolfriders, at least, and some of the females too. And what they said of her seemed to suggest she had quite and appetite for joining. Cutter had loved her all his life, first as a sister, and recently he had started to see her in a new way. He had almost decided he was going to ask her to initiate him. That was why he'd given her the heart of the rabbit – the rabbit! He'd forgotten!
"Rainsong! Moonshade! I brought something for you!" He lifted up his kill.
"Keep it, Cutter!" Moonshade called back. "Maybe she isn't a lifebearer yet, but she will be,
and you'll be too busy to hunt tonight!"
"Yes, you'll need the meat more than we do," Rainsong agreed. "Isn't Recognition wonderful?"
Skywise sensed that Cutter was worried.
Tam? What is it?
I'm afraid… I mean, I have never…
Don't worry. What was before is past. This is now. This is Recognition.
Oh, Fahr… He embraced her once more.
Come.
Skywise led the way to her den. It was the highest in the Father Tree, closest to the stars, and it had belonged to her mother. She loved living up high of course, but for once she wished the climb had been shorter. She was burning, she was aching - she had never felt such a desperate urge for joining. Always, it had been her choice, but now Recognition had made the choice for them both. She had never given much thought to the whole idea. It was something that happened to others. She had smiled, listening to Nightfall and Dewshine whisper about who they would like to Recognize when they grew up, and all she had thought was she couldn't choose, she dreamed of everyone, and she had wished the others luck and asked if they would share.
Now she was in her den, and she sat on the soft furs and began to undress. First she took off the headpiece, a gift from Cutter some turns ago – although he had thought she'd wear it behind her ears as a hair decoration. Then the wristbands, those too resembling armor more than decoration. The other females had often wondered why someone so obsessed about the males didn't pay more attention to her looks, but the truth was, Skywise had a secret dream. No matter what Bearclaw said, one day she would be a warrior. The humans would not catch her helpless like her parents had been. Now, though, she was not thinking about those dreams. She undid her belt and threw it and the sword attached to it into a dark corner. Cutter was watching her. As she bent down to take off her boots, Cutter reached out and helped her. And then he helped with the rest of her clothes, and she with his.
Skywise had thought she knew all there was to know about joining. But she was proved wrong. Nothing, nothing she had ever experienced could compare with the intense, wild magic that was Recognition. It was fire and it was ice, it was the wolf in her in heat, it was the voice of the High Ones singing in her blood, weaving a spell. There was no choice, and although she loved Cutter, this had nothing to do with love. It felt – it felt as if the stars themselves had come down for her!
And a fear of loneliness she had never admitted having was gone once and for all. As long as she had Tam, she would never again be alone.