Chapter Two: This is Good Meat

Skywise stared at Kahvi, shocked to the core.

She'd just sent him his soulname. And his mind was filling with her deepest secrets. Kahvi was cold as the arctic night, and yet warm also, burning inside with a hidden fire, an intensity of living that many wolfriders would envy. She grabbed life by the vitals, she feared nothing and no one. She reminded him of Bearclaw a lot.

There was no doubt of it. They were Recognized. Just like he and Tam… only this time, it would be different.

He'd never thought it would be like this. The spirits had been whispering hints for several days, telling him something wonderful was about to happen, telling him it started with finding Kahvi. He'd had no idea what they meant. Timmain had been talking to him about Recognitions, and he still hadn't caught the hint. He'd wondered instead if he was going to Recognize Timmain. That, he wouldn't have objected to so much… he already had a feeling Timmain knew his soulname… she was a High One. And Kahvi was…

Roya. His soul's mate. He became dimly aware that at the moment Kahvi was spouting curses at him.

"…you numb-witted maggot, you troll-poking coward! What magic have you worked on me?" She demanded angrily.

"Kahvi… it is indeed magic, but it is no magic of mine. It is Recognition." Skywise explained.
"To the fire pit with your Recognition! I want none of it!" Kahvi stated, pushed him aside and stormed out of the room.

Skywise sat on the bed. He was still overwhelmed by the vastness of it all. Kahvi was so many times his elder… Two-Spear's daughter… a mother many times over… and yet, her soul was young and alive, always searching for new experiences. Skywise had often wondered what Recognition would give him. He'd spoken proudly against it, thought he'd need something special, 'high ones coming back and bringing the stars with them'… but he'd been relying on the thought that it wouldn't happen yet, not anytime soon, that he'd have time to prepare for it. Sometimes he'd wondered whom he'd Recognize if it wasn't Timmain, but it had never occurred to him that the person he Recognized would not be happy about the Recognition. Skywise had always been popular among females. He'd expected himself to be the one less pleased with the Recognition. So many maidens had whispered to his ear how they'd love to Recognize him… he hadn't given much thought to the reality, that there were also maidens who didn't think he was all that special.

He should have known. He'd seen what Tam had suffered with Leetah. He'd witnessed the unlikely match of Tyldak and Dewshine, with all its consequences. Sometimes, Recognition just didn't care how the people it brought together felt about the whole thing.

But what was Kahvi's problem? He'd sensed in her a longing to be loved, to belong somewhere. There was something between her and Cutter, Skywise knew. Was Kahvi disappointed because he wasn't Cutter?

Skywise stood up and went to find Timmain. She always helped when he had a problem.

Kahvi walked back into the bigger chambers of the Palace. To his amazement, there was a celebration going on. The wolfriders and Sun Folk were in progress of feasting on fresh meat and dreamberries. Kahvi found Cutter, sitting on a bench with Leetah. "What is this all about?" She demanded.
Cutter stared at her in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you back so soon. Did it go wrong?"
Kahvi growled. "Did what go wrong? Make some sense, wolf-chief!"
"Your Recognition of course. Leetah told me." Cutter explained.
Kahvi looked just about ready to kill someone. "What business is that of yours, or Leetah's?" She snarled, turning to face Cutter's lifemate.
Leetah stood up. "I'm a healer. I can't help it if I sense a Recognition. The Palace itself strengthens my healer senses. To my inner eyes, you and Skywise glow with magic."
Kahvi spat on the Palace floor. "Magic! Rotten, troll-poking magic! I liked this Palace a lot better when it was just a story! Why can't magic just leave me alone?"

Kahvi became aware that everyone was staring at her. "Well, what's wrong with you lot? Go on with your stupid celebration. And give me some of that fried meat, I'm hungry."

A Sun Villager maiden gave Kahvi some meat on a plate. Kahvi grabbed the meat by the bones and started eating with her hands. The maiden giggled.
"What's so funny?" Kahvi demanded.
"You eat like Chot. Do all Go-Backs eat with their hands?" she asked.
"Of course, how else would we eat? Hey, this is good meat. So you know Chot? What's the old dungbrain been up to lately? Steal any more Palaces? Trick any more chiefs?"
The maiden giggled again, then looked a bit sad.
"We haven't seen him for a while. I think he's in the Forevergreen, somewhere. Chot was fun to have around. But not as fun as Skywise. You're a lucky maiden." The girl's eyes looked slightly misty, as if she was about to cry.

Kahvi snorted and walked away. She found a seat covered with furs and sat down, chewing on the meat, while her mind was chewing on other things. This whole Recognition business didn't suit her at all. The Go-Back way was better. No mind-magic to mess things up. And Skywise wasn't what she'd choose for a mate. He was a dreamer. Kahvi liked practical people. Like Cutter. Why couldn't it have been him instead? She looked towards him and saw him and Leetah looking each other in the eyes. It disgusted her. So soppy after all these years.

Suddenly Kahvi heard a voice speak in his mind. **It was hard for Mother and Father at first. Mother didn't want to accept father. But she did in the end. Otherwise I wouldn't have been born. Recognition is important. A soul yearns to be born through you, Kahvi. Perhaps more than one soul.** She looked around, and saw a young, golden-haired male looking intently at her. With him was a strange-looking female, and two babies playing on a blanket on the floor. She recalled a child, curious and smiling, with the same wavy locks. **Suntop?** She asked, shocked by the change in him.

**It is Sunstream now. Welcome back, Kahvi.** He sent. He spoke to the curly-haired female with the funny ears, and she looked at Kahvi and smiled. Kahvi ignored the smile and began chewing the meat again.