not1In a cave a few hours walk from the holt, a tawny red haired elf was doing everything in her power to bring Ember back from her endless sleep. A pack of wolves sat at the entrance to her cave. They had been instructed to warn her should anyone approach. She picked up a plant from beside her, and twisted it. The plant let off a strong and foul smell. She placed the twist under Ember's nose. Her eyes suddenly jerked open. They appeared to be a pale gray instead of their usual brown. Ember's face showed her obvious puzzlement. She blinked her eyes a number of times, but otherwise kept her face blank. The elf leaning over Ember sighed with audible relief.
Ember's sharp ears picked up the sigh and she spoke out loud "Who's there? Why is it dark? Why can't I see anything?" Ember began to panic. "Wait-What happened? The last thing I remember was... I can't remember anything. Where am I? Who am I? I don't recognize your smell. I don't remember anything... Ember was becoming more and more frantic when she suddenly felt a soft hand touch her shoulder. Then a soft and husky voice spoke, "Calm down, you are going to be fine. I will explain everything after you have had some real sleep, not just unconsciousness"
"Can you at least tell me my name?" Ember said impatiently. The unfamiliar Elf chuckled.

"After you sleep, fire child, after you sleep. Then I shall tell you all you need to know." Ember, apparently satisfied with this answer, fell back into deep sleep. This time however, the elf knew she wasn't in any grave danger and was content to let her sleep. In the back of her mind she felt Ember's twin brother calling out to Ember.

Suntop sat in the den that he and Ember had chosen together and gathered his thoughts. He could see from where he sat, the form of Skywise. Just out of view from the rest of the tribe, Skywise was pacing hectically as though his life was coming to an end. Actually, he looked depressed. Suntop sympathized with Skywise, who he felt had been acting a bit uncharacteristic since they had come into the forest. To him it felt almost as though Skywise had recognized someone, but Suntop knew that no one else had experienced anything similar. So he was a bit baffled at what was causing this unusual behavior. He knew that Skywise had been a bit unsure of Ember to begin with, but he thought he'd gotten over it. He felt something was wrong, and he fully intended to find out what it was. But that would have to wait. He felt the compulsion to find out if his sister lived. By a unique bond he had with Ember he knew her blood still stirred. For a moment he had thought of the elf that had been there when they first arrived, but he quickly dismissed the thought. There had been no chance for 'Eyes to meet Eyes.'

Surely there was something that he was missing, the question now is what it actually was. Could someone have placed a spell over the elf? Skywise had constantly been as steadfast as the Father Tree, but any one of us have been, or could have been under a spell by Winnowill. Now more than ever, we needed someone with some brains in the tribe.

Suntop shook his head. One must never let a wound go unwashed, lest it fester. There is going to be a great deal of unrest at the counsel tonight. And he for one, was not going to be looking forward to it. He winced inside as he thought about what some of the elders were going to say about this development. Ember had lost the tribe again, and it didn't look like she was going to be getting it back anytime soon. If she even survived.

Suntop watched Skywise for a while and wondered if there was something that he could, or should do. Skywise seemed lost in thought and Suntop was surprised when he suddenly heard Skywise's internal struggle.

--not the way I meant for this to happen! I'd give anything to get her back. There was a mental sigh. Why is it that I always end up being the one hurt? I'm the one with no one to lean on when times are hard! I'm the one that everyone figures is as firm as the Father Tree! I don't want to be that person all the time! Sometimes I just want to be the person that needs someone to lean on.

This has got to be the stupidest thing that I've ever done. Why couldn't I have looked ahead and known that this was going to happen? Mental sarcastic laughter Because I'm not one who predicts the future, Sahva is. God, I wish I could see her. She would be able to guide me on my path. Suntop turned his mind away from the struggle that was going on within Skywise. His own struggle burning strong within his own mind.

From somewhere in the back of his mind something snapped. He felt the stirrings of his tie to Ember begin to be manipulated. He was more than startled, he was hurt. He felt that there must be something he could do. He leaned back into the shadows of the tree, from there he let himself glide away from reality.

The elf looked at the one before her carefully; after Ember had fallen back asleep. She carefully examined the face and waves of hair so much like her own. Her own skin pale in comparison, was of the same texture. The build was slightly different but not by an incredible amount. Instead there was a feeling of blood that beat in time with hers. This small connection was enough for her to know that there was more to the woman that she looked upon.

She stirred briefly from her studious stare when she felt the fluttering touch of another mind coming closer. Her lip quirked a bit on one side. Then she leaned back onto the soft bed of furs that lied next to Ember and let her mind drift away, free from space and time. Once there, she shone like a star in the darkest of nights. But she was not here to pass time and set off toward a smaller light that was calling out to Ember. Knowing that it was Suntop she moved toward him with one purpose in mind.

Suntop felt the light before he saw it. He could do nothing but find himself being drawn toward the light. He heard a familiar voice and was unable to do anything but relax. Uneasy even though he was relaxed, Suntop welcomed this new light, and mind, with open arms as he had done many times before. He found a strange sort of peace that he hadn't felt since before Ember and Skywise's confrontation. He felt a different sort of peace. A loving protective peace.

He knew this peace came from this person that he'd never seen, a shining light that he'd never seen the face of. However in the back of this golden light there was a flicker of darkness, a flicker of sorrow and regret. But before he could tell what it was, it was gone. The light overtaking it and unfolding a great joy. Turning to the light he was doubtful; this light had distracted him from his sister.

"Mentor, One whom I owe many years to, Why have you delayed me in my time of need?" Suntop pressed without the usual formalities. The light wavered ever so slightly, Suntop if he noticed, did not show it.

"Sun child, born of two tribes, I come to you to help you sort your emotions. You tore me from my own pressing matters to relieve the weariness that haunts your heavy heart. There is much you must do to keep the tribes unified, you must not be burdened by your loss. She is in the best possible care. It is not her time to leave the state that you and I are in. This I swear by on my life. Is there anything I can do to help you to understand what I mean?

Silence echoed in the vast reaches of the void that the two beings inhabited. Few had the ability to reach this state, and those that did had no way to keep things from one another. You can allow for such things to be left unsaid for privacy's sake. Suntop understood this as much as the next person. He looked at the light and a thought struck him. It had never bothered him until now.

"Why do you hide behind that light? What is it that you don't want me to see?" Suntop's questions sat on silence for a moment before the light began to fade. He watched as the elf before him appeared. For a moment he was baffled.

"Ember? No, I'm sorry, you're not my sister, but the resemblance is uncanny. You and my sister look so much like each other. At least the way we looked when we were young and naive." Suntop stopped and looked at her again. His eyes in knots of confusion. And yet, behind that there was a glimmer of need to trust his mentor. "How is it that you know where Ember is, Honored One? Do you know the one that holds her in their care?"

For a moment the elf was a bit lost for words. She seemed uneasy and afraid of what was to happen next. Of all the possible outcomes that she had thought of, this was not one of them. As quick as she could think, she made her choice.

"Sun child, perhaps if you were to truly believe that there is more to this world then what you can see and touch, you would believe in those you trust more. I feel that there is much for you still to learn. Perhaps one day you too will know that which you desire most. But until then, I have only one more thing to give you that is of any meaning at all. This is the last and closest thing to my heart and it is the one thing that holds the most power over me."

Suntop felt a slight confusion at first but as she talked to him it began to dawn on him what she was talking about. "My Lady! Don't do that!"

"Suntop, my blood's kin, perhaps there is another way to reassure you that your sister is alive, but at this moment there is no other way that I perceive as being as of any use. I lay beside the one you search for. Do not search for her any longer. Your doing so would endanger your life as well as hers. I say this as the only way that you can possibly understand the importance of what I'm saying." The woman gave a moment of pause and sighed.

"Dear child, I give you the closest thing to my heart and soul. My soulname is Tal." At the moment she said her name the darkness overcame her and she vanished from Suntop's view.