This is the second story in my Alternaverse series. Skyfire and her elves, now rescued from enslavement by the trolls, get to know Cutter's tribe.
All words contained within # # are sendings between elves.
The elves, now a group of three-eights, travelled together in silence for the first few hours after meeting in the troll king's throne room. Each group of elves was in wary contemplation of the other, thinking up questions but leaving them unasked. It was better to save these questions until they'd stopped to rest, anyway.
"Ow!" Fiddlesticks's voice rang out, causing the Wolfriders to stop and stare as the pregnant elf sagged against Whistler, the lifemates clutching to each other.
Rainsong handed Wing to Woodlock - her lifemate and the cub's father - and slid off her wolf, then ran over to the pair who were already being surrounded by their own tribemates.
"Let me help, I'm birther for my tribe," Rainsong said, reassuring these elves of her intent. They let her pass uncontested.
"Okay, you lot, back away and let her do her work," Skyfire said, leading the four elves a short distance away. She looked ahead to see that the other elves were dismounting from their wolves.
"Is her cub coming now?" Skyfire heard the small female, Newstar, ask her father.
"We'll see, Newstar," Woodlock replied, smiling down at his daughter while hiding his worry. This was not the best time to birth a cub. Not than anyone had a choice in the matter, except the cub, who would choose its own time to birth regardless of what was best.
Meanwhile, Rainsong had gotten Whistler to lower Fiddlesticks to the ground and remove the bundle that the heavily pregnant elf carried on her back so that Rainsong could give her a good looking-over.
Fiddlesticks leaned on her right hip, her hands braced against Whistler's chest as Rainsong prodded her lower back carefully.
"Here?" Rainsong asked, slowly pressing her hand against a spot along Fiddlesticks's spine just below her waist. Or where her waist would usually be, as the large bulge of her cub in front seemed to have eradicated any sign of her pre-cub waistline.
"No, a little lower," Fiddlesticks replied.
Rainsong moved her hand lower and pressed again.
Fiddlesticks gasped and arched her back away from the pained touch. "That's it," she said unnecessarily.
Rainsong massaged the tender area genly until she felt the muscles relax. "Better?"
"Much. Thank you." Fiddlesticks decided right then that she would have to make sure her lifemate learned this technique. It felt wonderful, after the initial discomfort began to fade, that was.
"Okay... Whistler, is it?" Rainsong waited for his confirming nod before continuing. "I need you to get behind her now and let her back rest against your front." While he did as she instructed, she switched around to take his place and waited until Fiddlesticks was settled into place before reaching for the hem of her shirt.
Fiddlesticks and Whistler watched silently as Rainsong raised the shirt to just below her breasts and lowered the top of her pants so that the entire expanse of her swollen stomach was exposed.
Rainsong placed one ear against the bared skin, listening for the cub's hearbeat. She had to move her head a coupld of times in search of the sound, but did soon find it. "Strong-sounding heartbeat," she commented happily. It was a good sign. She raised her head and used her hands to feel for the way the cub was positioned in the womb. A frown appeared on her face a few moments later whe she realized that the cub was laying sideways. It couldn't be born that way.
"Do you know how long you have left before the cub is due to be born?" Rainsong asked of the couple.
Fiddlesticks answered for the both of them. "We aren't sure. Being down here... Well, it's hard to keep track fo the eight of days and the moon cycles. But, at best, I think... another moon cycle, maybe two." She sounded only half sure of her answer.
"Well, however long you have left, I don't think this cub wil be making his or her appearance today." Rainsong's smile was kind, doing much to reassure the almost-parents. "Rest a bit now, I expect we'll be moving on again soon enough."
Whistler hugged his lifemate from behind and kissed the top of her head, relieved that they wouldn't be having this cub now. It was important to him - more so to Fiddlesticks - that this cub not be born within the trolls territory. Anywhere else, even below the stars as Fiddlesticks had claimed. Just so long as this cub was born above the ground and not below.
Skyfire was the first to approach the lifemates once Rainsong stood. They met up as Rainsong was on her way back to her family.
#Thank you,# Skyfire lock-sent.
Sensing her desire for privacy, Rainsong replied in the same manner. #It was nothing, really. I would do the same for any elf.#
#You've managed to reassure them. It does mean a lot, truly. All of us have been worried about this cub's future since its parents Recognized.#
Not sure how to respond to that, Rainsong merely nodded. Wing started to cry, demanding his mother's attention, and the two elf maidens went their separate ways.
Cutter and Skywise, who were further down the tunnel, looked upon the scene as they held their own private conversation.
#So what do you think?# Skywise asked.
#About what, exactly?# Cutter knew it must have something to do with the small band of elves that they had discovered. or that had discovered them?
#Skyfire, I guess, if I had to name one thing.#
Skyfire knelt next to the couple and conversed with the pregnant elf and her lifemate. The words were faint and hard to make out, not that they were really trying to listen.
#Hard to say just yet. But I think she truly cares about her tribe and their well-being.#
Laughter floated their way. Skywise turned to face Cutter.
#Easy on the eyes, too.# He waggled his eyebrows comically.
Cutter rolled his eyes. #Of course you'd think of that.#
Skywise tried to smile innocently but the attempt failed. #Ah, you know me too well, Tam.# Skywise returned to watching Skyfire, whose back was facing him. The dual shades of her hair fascinated him. He'd never seen another mane quite like hers. #You think having two chiefs around might cause trouble?# he asked Cutter suddenly.
#I hope not. At least not until we get to where we're going. Once we're settled in a new holt, it'll be soon enough to worry about working out leadership.#
Skywise nodded slowly. #If they plan to stay with this tribe once we get out of here.#
#You honestly think they'd want to go their own way later on?# That possibility hadn't occured to Cutter.
#Can't say for sure what their plans are, or Skyfire's at least. If it was me... Well, even with no humans around, there's always some danger to be faced. Its better to face that danger with a bigger number of elves than a smaller one.#
#Your words are wise, stargazer.#
#Of course.# Skywise's smile was smug.
#Of course... Good thing this has nothing to do with you having an interest in giving Skyfire a wrestle in the furs.# Cutter hid a smile as Skywise promptly lost his and looked sharply at Cutter.
Before they got moving again a short time later, Cutter made arrangements for several of his tribefolk to take turns carrying Fiddlesticks on their wolf mounts. Rainsong had said she shouldn't be walking right now - it might cause her cub to come early - but even without her assessment, he would have done the same.
"Need any help with that?" Pike asked.
Ebony looked up from her kneeling position and promptly blushed to find the strange male elf looking down at her. "I... yes, thank you."
Pike leaned down and lifted the weight of the food pack off Ebony's back and placed it on the ground near her.
The elves, exhausted after a long day's travel, were stopping for a bit of food and several hours' sleep. Pike, who'd taken notice of Ebony from the first moment she'd walked into the throne room with Hawthorne, had seen her struggling with the food pack and had taken the opportunity to approach her.
Ebony sighed pleasantly as the strap slipped over her head. "It didn't feel that heavy when we started out but..." She trailed off, not wanting to make Pike think that she was a complainer.
"But now it feels like you've been hauling large stones around?" Pike asked, smiling friendly at Ebony.
"Exactly!" Ebony exclaimed, smiling at Pike again. She gave him her name.
"I'm Pike." He took a seat next to her.
Similar conversations were taking place as both tribes sought to get to know the other side. There was more time now to do so as there hadn't been during the previous - and brief - rest stops. Talking too much while travelling was a waste of energy and sending seemed too intimate for new acquaintances just yet.
Skyfire was glad that the tribes were starting to merge and that it was going smoothly... so far, anyway. Both groups of elves were curious about each other and right now curiosity overrode any possible problems which might arise. Like the wolf packs, when new members came in, there were always some problems. It meant a reshuffle in the pack's hierarchy as new members fought for position while those that were albready established struggled to keep what they had.
It was time she talked to the other chief, Cutter. Best to let him know now where she stood on things and find out what his thoughts were.
Skyfire rose and began to approach Cutter, stepping around elves and wolves with care of where she placed her feet. Cutter, having noticed her approach, rose and waited for her to reach him.
Eyes met eyes when the two chiefs stood before each other, each taking in the other's measure for a few brief moments. Then, without breaking eye contact, Skyfire inclined her head in the direction of the unexplored tunnel they would be travelling down tomorrow.
#Talk with me?#
Cutter nodded once and they both turned to head up the tunnel together, soon turning a corner and heading out of sight of the others.
They'd gone a fair distance together before they stopped and sat.
"So... you wanted to talk," Cuter began, the words a statement rather than a question.
"Mmm," Skyfire murmured. "I figured we should. Best that we understand each other now and maybe prevent a few problems along the way."
Cutter nodded, thinking the logic sound. "So where do you want to begin?" He'd let her choose, seeing as how it was her that had approached him for this talk.
Skyfire thought on that briefly before replying. "Well... I'm sure you must have questions. Why not start there and see where things go?"
"Alright..." Cutter thought of all the things he wanted to know, trying to pick which one he wanted to ask her about first.
"The origin of your tribe. Where do you come from?" This was one subject Cutter had been wondering about almost since Fiddlesticks had first appeared in Greymung's throne room.
A good place to start, Skyfire thought. "We are Wolfriders, as are you, though it has been some turns of the seasons since any of us seven have ridden a wolf. We are descended from Timmain, though I believe you and I share relatives somewhat more recent than the great mother of our kind."
"Two-Spear and Huntress Skyfire?" Cutter guessed.
Skyfire nodded. "I'm the descendant of Two-Spear."
Which really made Skyfire a Blood of Chiefs in her own right. Cutter pushed down the thoughts that realization caused for now and concentrated on other things. "Why do you carry the name of one when you carry the blood of the other within you?"
"That tale is part of a much larger one. It would probably be easier to just tell the whole of it straight out." Skyfire waited to see what Cutter's reply would be.
"Then the larger tale, from beginning to end, rather than the bits of it outside the order they happened in, would be best."
"Alright." Skyfire shifted her position, crossing her legs to make herself more comfortable. "I'll try not to make this too long a tale, as I'm sure we're both eager for sleep." She fell silent for a moment, considering just how far back she should start.
"After Two-Spear took his part of the tribe away from your home, he Recognized one maiden that was not his lifemate, a maiden named Moonracer, and they made a cub together. Some time later - a few eight-of-days, if the stories are true - Two-Spear encountered a human tribe and our number was cut in half by fighting and deaths, including Two-Spear's. Moonracer took up the chief's lock until her cub was born and came of age to lead. They settled in the mountains, where the tribe lived peacefully until... well, I'm getting a bit ahead of things." Skyfire gave Cutter a brief rundown of the tribe's history until she'd reached the part of where she had been born into the tribe.
"I was named Two-Moons when I was born. Things were peaceful as I grew, as they had been many turns before I came. I lived my life, not expecting to become chief of the tribe. That was to be my brother's honor. But Farsight... he did not always live in the now of wolf thought. He looked toward the future instead, beyond such usual concerns like where we would hunt to allow game to replenish in other parts of our vast territory. He confided in me when I was older that he had plans to split the tribe after his time came to lead. It had grown quite large, numbering almost eight-eights of elves when Ebony, the youngest among us, was born."
Cutter couldn't contain the whistle of surprise that escaped his lips, so impressed was he by so large a number of elves all living together at the same time in the same space.
Skyfire nodded. "There was always plenty of food, even during the white-cold season, and a lack of beasts which might prey upon us. Farsight knew that so many of us living in one place could be a bad thing. Just because the food was plentiful did not mean that it always would be. He decided I would be fitting to lead one tribe - the one to stay behind - and when I got older, he taught me lessons of chieftainship even as he learned them, so that I would know what to do when the time came."
Skyfire stopped to take a shuddering breath, knowing the next part of her tale would be more difficult to tell.
"Things had been so peaceful for so long that we weren't expecting to be attacked. Trolls - though we didn't know what they were at the time, never having seen them before - came out of the mountains... well, if we've been down here six turns, then that would've happend almost seven turns ago. They - the trolls - were vicious, blood-thirsty..." Skyfire shuddered at the memory. "Those trolls were much harsher than the ones which've kept us as slaves. They came through the holt, killing everyone they could find. Even the wolves that were our friends did not escape their killing blows. Those of us that could, escaped into the lower woodlands, hiding there in the trees as daylight came and the screams finally faded. I returned alone to the holt, insisting that no others risked their lives by going with me. What I found... it was far too horrible to put into words now." Skyfire lowered her head and swiped away the few stray tears which had managed to escape her eyes.
"I came back carrying what the trolls hadn't taken with them, or smashed to bits in the raid. It wasn't much, but we couldn't afford to leave any of it behind. I was strongly tempted, though. Everything was covered in blood to some extent, including a torn piece of my brother's head band, which was used to tie my chief's lock. Eight and two of us were left, and two wolves who had lost their elf friends. Reduced to so few, I knew we could not be safe starting a new holt on our own. Nor could we ever return to Frost holt, which could be attacked again by the trolls. So I decided we should come here and search for Huntress Skyfire's tribe, rejoin them if the were still around and would accept us." She fell silent again, giving Cutter a chance to think on her words and giving herself time to recover from memories she rarely allowed herself to relive at the same time.
Cutter thought, then thought some more. "You said... eight and two elves... What happened to those other three?"
"The humans," Skyfire replied simply. "They surprised us, kiling those three and the last two wolves. We ran deeper into the forest and encountered the trolls. It felt like a bad dream come to life. I feared the loss of what little remained of our tribe, and so entered into a deal with the trolls to serve their kind underground. It wasn't until it was far too late that I realized these trolls were unlike the ones from the mountains, that they would not have kill us but might have acutally let us live in peace above. When I went to demand our freedom... Well, needless to say I was denied and we have been down here ever since."
Cutter's hand reached across the distance that separated them and placed a comforting hand on Skyfire's shoulder. "You made the right choice at the time, choosing what you believed the only path that would keep your tribe alive."
"Sometimes I'm not so sure. I think back to what else I might have done, had I the power to change the past."
"You're alive, so are the others, and you are free now." Cutter shifted closer and pulled Skyfire the rest of the way to him, sensing her need for more physical comfort than a mere hand's touch could offer. She went easily, allowing herself to show weakness to this chief as she could not to any other elf. "You still have not told me how you gained your name," he said upon realizing that fact.
"Oh... yes... Well, we had been with the trolls for what I figure was almost a full two turns when it came to me that we were all slowly forgetting the idea of returning to the world above, of seeing the sky again. I chose my name then, a name that would serve as a reminder of all that we had lost and all we hoped to one day regain."
Cutter saw the wisdom in her choice.
"Cutter?"
"Yes?"
"I want you to know... I have no heart left for leadership. I see you are a wise and caring leader, even though I haven't known you very long. If you will agree to unite the tribes, then once we get through this and settle in a new home, I will untie my chief's lock. Or better still, I will let you do it before the entrie tribe, so none will doubt my desire to give up leadership."
"Are you sure this is what you truly want?" Cutter couldn't help but ask.
Skyfire nodded. "Yes. I long for a simpler life, even if it is only made easier by not having to shoulder the burden of leading others. Life was easier back before I knew of Farsight's plans, when I held onto the mantle of cubhood while enjoying some of the delights of being an adult... Like lovemating." She let loose a carefree giggle and told Cutter of the time when she and an elf lad named Hawkbit had shirked duties to go mating in a hidden glen, only to be caught fully bare and in the height of passion by a wandering white stripe.
Cutter laughed heartily before relating his own tale of a run-in with one of the little white stripes. Growing up in a time free of humans, Cutter had become practically fearless of everything. One day he'd discovered one of the smelly creatures wandering around in search of food and had deliberately went for a closer look.
"... and even with several thorough bathings, no one wanted to come near me. I wasn't allowed back into my parents' den - nor was I welcome in any other - for nearly a full eight-of-days."
Their laughter drifted back down the tunnel, doing much to reassure those that had been worried when Cutter and Skyfire had first gone off alone together.
Despite having resolved things between themselves fairly quickly, it was much later when Cutter and Skyfire returned to the Wolfriders. Skyfire had fallen asleep and Cutter, rather than waking her, had decided to carry her back. As he walked around the bend in the tunnel he noticed that most of the Wolfriders were already sleeping. Only two - Strongbow and Hawthorne - were awake, keeping an eye on their sleeping troll guide.
#I thought Treestump was supposed to be keeping watch with you,# Cutter lock-sent to Strongbow.
#Hawthorne couldn't sleep and offered to stay up with one of us while the other slept. Treestump was more tired than I,# Strongbow replied. He eyed the sleeping chieftess in Cutter's arms with undisguised curiosity. #Well?#
#It went well,# Cutter replied without elaborating. When Strongbow looked ready to protest, obviously wanting more details, Cutter added, #And that is all you need to know for now.#
Strongbow fumed in his usual silence, irritated that Cutter had not seen fit to share any details from his meeting with the fiery-haired chieftess. It was Cutter's right as chief to keep what secrets he wished, but about something like this, Strongbow felt that whatever information Cutter had garnered about the other band of elves should be shared.
Cutter ignored Strongbow now. He knew the archer was angered by his refusal to share knowledge but right now he had little care for one of Strongbow's bad moods. Cutter would tell the entire tribe at the same time, and when he felt it was time for them to know. He wouldn't make an exception for the surly archer, especially not when he was tired and needed the rest. Without hesitation, Cutter carried Skyfire over to where Skywise slept next to his wolf, Starjumper, and placed her next to his soul brother. Cutter lay down next to her, then a moment later felt Nightrunner settle at his back. It wasn't long before both elf and wolf joined the others in sleep.
Hawthorne, who'd remained silent throughout the exchange between the two males, sought to reach out to the sullen archer now. She couldn't explain, not even to herself, why this would be so. Perhaps she subconsciously recognized something of herself within him. #Skyfire has no wish to cause trouble,# she sent to Strongbow. He looked to her, then back to Picknose. Sending did not require eye contact and he held little trust for trolls.
#And what do you know of it?# Strongbow asked, still suffering from a fit of muted anger.
Emotions came across in a sending, so Hawthorne received his anger as well as his words. #I bet I know why my chief wanted to talk to your chief alone,# she sent, baiting him.
Strongbow's only acknowledgement was a shifting of position and a recrossing of his arms.
Hawthorne shook her head at Strongbow's stubbornness. It was obvious he wanted to know what had passed between the two chiefs, yet he wouldn't allow himself to ask her about sharing what she knew. She could have taunted himabout it - probably would have under different circumstances - but she figured with bonds slowly being forged between the two tribes, it wasn't the time for games such as that.
#Skyfire wants to unite the tribes. That has always been what she's wanted, ever since most of the tribe was killed by trolls.#
Surprise came across loud and clear before Strongbow could stop it from moving between their minds.
#Those trolls, they weren't like this lot.# She nodded at Picknose, who continued to sleep. #They were savage, brutal, and completely without mercy. If we'd realized that sooner, we might not have become their slaves six turns ago.# Hawthorne wrapped her arms around her middle. Thinking about the deaths of the others, then their unwitting surrendering of their freedom, it never failed to upset her. Especially the deaths of her lifemate and two cubs - a male grown and a girl that would be near Ebony's age had she lived.
#I'm... sorry.# The apology from Strongbow came across hesitantly, but sincere, and certainly was unexpected by Hawthorne.
#And what do you know about it?# Hawthorne snapped, her sadness receding to be replaced by anger.
Anger flashed in Strongbow again, anger which he was able to keep to himself this time. This elf maiden had suffered through great loss and that could lead to irrational behaviour. Something he knew all too well.
#My daughter, Cresent...# An image of his girl cub, nearly full-grown, accompanied the send.
#I'm sorry, too,# Hawthorne sent. #We have both lost much.# She showed Strongbow images of her own cubs, even a brief one of her lifemate. #It's never easy, losing someone. A cub is one of the worst to lose.#
Strongbow had nothing to say about that, not that words were really needed. It was an undeniable truth, one each of them had come to know.
After a stretch of silence between the two elves, it was Strongbow who broke the mind silence first.
#Having two chiefs in one tribe will not be a good thing. It has always been one chief and one tribe. That is the way. Two chiefs are likely to fight with each other over how things are done.#
#Well... Strongbow... I'll tell you something else, as long as you swear to keep it just between us. No one else must know until the two chiefs decide to reveal it to the others.# Hawthorne waited for Strongbow's reply. She wouldn't have long to wait.
Strongbow took a moment to consider things. He didn't believe that an elf's word should be given without any thought or certainty that it could be carried through. #You have my word, I'll keep what you tell me to myself.# Even his own lifemate, Moonshade, would not hear of what he was about to learn.
#Skyfire plans to give up her chief's lock. It was always been part of her plan. She would only keep it if she thought your chief unfit to lead all the elves, and I don't think she does.#
#Why would she give up her leadership so willingly?# The concept was a totally foreign one to Strongbow. While two chiefs for one tribe was not part of the way, giving up chieftainship without a struggle did not seem right either. It wasn't that Strongbow wished for conflict to strike the tribe - because he didn't, especially not now when things were still somewhat uncertain as to the Wolfriders' future - but anything that went against the way was something to be automatically rejected.
#Skyfire is a Blood of Chiefs, as was her older brother, my lifemate. They shared the line through their mother, Spiritsong, who was our chieftess up until the tribe fell. Spiritsong named Farsight her heir at his birth, so Skyfire grew up never expecting to lead, not until Farsight shared with her his plans for splitting the tribe once he became leader, and that she would become leader of those elves who remained behind.#
When the elves woke after several hours of sleep, Strongbow's thoughts were still muddled with the new knowledge he'd gained of the other elves. These seven - soon eight, once Fiddlesticks bore her cub - were descendants of those elves that had chosen to follow Two-Spear when he'd left the tribe after losing his chieftainship to his sister, Huntress Skyfire. Though it went against the way, he now thought it was a good idea that Skyfire willingly give up her right to lead, rather that fight Cutter to keep it. Why risk Skyfire becoming chieftess when there was the possibility that the madness of her ancestor, Two-Spear, might be reborn in her? It was possible. After all, as Hawthorne had confessed, the tribe had split twice before in the past, both times under the direction of the chief who had led the tribe at the time. And besides, though he was loathe to admit it, Strongbow thought that Cutter was a good chief. Not as grand a chief as Bearclaw, Cutter's sire and one that had felt like a father to Strongbow, but still a good chief in his own right.
As Strongbow began to wonder about the other elves - other Wolfriders - that might still be alive in the world somewhere, Skywise was slowly waking up further down the tunnel.
Normally quick to wake - though not to rise (there was a difference) - Skywise was slowly coming awake in stages. The first thing he became aware of was a warm body curled up against his. The next, a few hairs which tickled his nose and chin. The scent - which was familiar and yet not totally so - was quite pleasing. He inhaled more deeply of it. The body shifted, coming into closer contact with his own, leaving no doubt that it was a female body aligned with his. Soon after that little realization, Skywise slowly opened his eyes. The first thing to greet his eyes was a head full of fiery and sun-streaked hair.
Skyfire. And just beyond her, Cutter was just coming awake.
#Sleep well?# Skywise lock-sent to Cutter.
#As well as could be expected, I think, under the circumstances,# Cutter replied. He got up on all fours and yawned widely. #What about you?#
#Very well. I should sleep in a cave more often if this is the kind of surprise I can expect when I wake up.# Though he didn't move, Cutter knew that Skywise meant Skyfire, who lay snuggled up against him. She must have rolled onto her side during the night... or day. It was difficult to tell down here whether it was currently one or the other.
#How did things go last night?# Skywise asked. He'd fallen asleep before the two had returned last night.
#Better than I expected. Skyfire wants to unite the tribes. That was always her plan.#
#And... the chieftainship?# Skywise asked hesitantly.
#There will be no challenge.# Cutter didn't elaborate and Skywise didn't question him further. When Cutter was ready, he would share the information willingly. In the meantime, Skywise would enjoy holding the warm, sweet-scented female. At least until she woke, that is. Then he would busy himself thinking up excuses to continue holding her.