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Post by Multi-Facets on Oct 28, 2008 18:34:51 GMT -6
Well, that was that. The act of dividing a tribe that had divided already left a sour taste in Shellslip's mouth, considering it was unfamiliar territory and that pile of rocks was somehow a menace.
But she disliked arguments even more, and thus had said nothing while the debate had gone on.
When Stormfire and her chosen defenders went to go exploring, Shellslip gladly turned Sniffer around. *Don't break your heads on the rocks; we need all of you,* she sent, both cautionary and kindly, and rode with the others who were going back to the previous camp.
Oh, of course she was somewhat curious, but this time, the redheaded maiden was disinclined to satisfy it. Not firsthand, anyway. She would just ask someone to send her everything later.
Silent too was relieved to be going back; he was worried about the ones who had stayed behind, naturally, but he personally felt a lot better, and so did Wanderlust. Already the jangling and clashing of his thoughts was smoothing out slightly.
*So what should we do about dinner?* Shellslip asked after a few moments of quiet. *Squirrels? Ravvits? Treewees?*
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Post by Anna on Oct 29, 2008 0:11:15 GMT -6
Redthorn remained shaken after her scare, still feeling heavy and drenched as though she had crawled from a river. The memory of her daughter and lifemate's death had suddenly become poignant in her mind, and only Icemark's soothings could calm her, though she kept her scare from the chieftess and her accompanying hunters. She looked back as Whitecrest trotted up beside Silvercub and Icemark, studying Stormfire's retreating figure. **I have done her a wrong, lifemate. I am an hunter, not a shying cub. I am an elder!** She shook her head and turned to face Icemark. **It is my place to stand beside the chief in such moments. It is the elders' honor to act for the better of the tribe. My weaknesses be cursed for robbing me of that!** Icemark didn't say anything for a moment, then brushed his hand over her hair. **This has haunted you for countless seasons, Redthorn. Long past when the grief should have eased. Perhaps there's more cause than you guess? It's not the Way to hold on to grief so long. Perhaps, when the new holt is found, we should find what it is that holds you so strongly?** It truly wasn't the Way for such long past losses to cleave so close to a Wolfrider. However, not all Wolfriders found easy refuge in the Now of wolfsong as some others did. The spell at such a chancy moment worried him and he feared that Redthorn couldn't be given her own time to grieve any more, not if it was going to leave her so helpless, so suddenly. |
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Post by Anna on Oct 29, 2008 0:32:23 GMT -6
**High Ones protect you, sister.** Evenstar sent sadly back to Firecat as they disappeared. The tanner knew she would be a burden, a distraction to her sister if she accompanied them on their small, and hopefully short, quest. **Mist,** She finally tore her mind away to the healer's. **I wonder about the elves that have passed here, there could be much to learn, much to see.** She bit her lip. **I fear the consequences of our wondering. Thornberry is right, this is not the Way, but we are elf also. Stormfire does right by our tribe to seek this knowledge I believe, I hope...** She urged Farpace to Mist's side and paused. The obvious question had been thought by all but left unanswered. **What if we are making a mistake?** Mist responded to Evenstar's locksend with an open send. There was no need to keep these concerns secret, especially when many of the rest were thinking the same things. *There is more to life than the Way, Evenstar,* he said somberly. *The Way is good for our daily lives. It sees us through the seasons, from new green, through hot sun and death cold, and during whitecold. But the Way doesn't encompass everything, and it doesn't consider our past and heritage. The Way is now, immediate survival. We are more than that.* Mist looked around at the group that rode before him, beside him, and behind him. For the most part, they were the gentle ones, the ones who felt the call of their elfin blood most strongly. It was odd that they, who probably responded strongest to the mountain, were the ones riding away from it. *It is a possibility that we are wrong. It is also a possibility that not investigating the mountain would have been wrong, too. We cannot know the future; we can only try to choose the wisest path - which isn't always the safest - when presented with more than one.* The healer's eyes flicked to Thornberry and Longdusk and a faint smile twitched at his lips. He knew neither was pleased with him, but at least his scolding ahd been private and no others had been privy to it. And, the further he got from the mountain, the more he realized he'd been unusually harsh at the two because of his own tension and discomfort. *Thornberry and Longdusk hold strongly to the Way; that's valuable and needed. But because of their closeness to it, they can't always see the larger pattern. Stormfire, Journey, and the younger ones - even you, young Sunsong! - are still full of young blood and tend to overlook the daily wisdom of the Way. It is a compromise between the two extremes that is the steady, stable path for us all. Risk wisely, because risk shouldn't be avoided, but shouldn't be courted, either.* *'Risk wisely,'* Sunsong repeated thoughtfully. *It's what we do every night, isn't it? Every time we hunt?* She looked up at the moonshadowed trees, her brows lowered thoughtfully. *Even this, Evenstar, is like the Way. As a wolfpack hunts, they stalk their chosen prey. They stay in hiding until they've determined which beast is the weakest, their best chance at success. Then they adapt their hunt to fit the type of beast, and the conditions. This is very much what our chieftess is doing. The beast is the mountain. The hunters and scouts are now stalking in hiding to see what it's nature is, and if it's worth the hunt and kill, or too dangerous.* Then she flicked a playful glance at Thornberry and Longdusk and urged Shade to ride between the two. Taking their hands her hers, she tugged at them playfully. *And for those of us not playing wolf, we have two fine, strong, handsome hunters to protect us!* ((Sunsongs comments remind me of a paper I wrote for one of my classes last semester, about the reintroduction of wolves to the wild... One section covered their hunting patterns and why rancher concerns about the wolves attacking livestock are so unfounded...)) |
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Post by peachbug on Nov 5, 2008 21:02:28 GMT -6
"Risk wisely..." Evenstar murmured to herself. She turned back to smile at Sunsong. *Aye, Sunsong! All your thoughts make sense to me, and to form them like you takes more than I can ever make. I am comforted by both your wisdoms.* She nodded respectfully to Mist and turned back to Sunsong.
*Your words of hunt make my blood hot for our own!* Allowing Farpace to slide back to the trio, the stargazer batted her eyes with exaggeration at Longdusk and Thornberry. "Surely you two wouldn't mind leaving your worried thoughts away for such things?"
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Post by Multi-Facets on Nov 5, 2008 22:11:51 GMT -6
Evenstar [...]*Your words of hunt make my blood hot for our own!* Allowing Farpace to slide back to the trio, the stargazer batted her eyes with exaggeration at Longdusk and Thornberry. "Surely you two wouldn't mind leaving your worried thoughts away for such things?" "I hope that's so," Shellslip spoke up. "We all could use something to eat, and we shouldn't keep our wolves from their own hunt for long. Small worries, yes, but right now, they need our attention." *Food?* Wanderlust sent hopefully, her tail lifting slightly and wagging a bit. *When we get back to camp, you can go hunt,* Silent promised. |
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Post by Viola on Nov 8, 2008 0:48:30 GMT -6
Lightgaze looked worried to her son. He hadn't spoken a word again since Stormfire had bolted off -- which she still considered unwise, but it was not her place to tell her so. She decided not to interfere, and let him choose his own path.
Longdusk blood boiled in his veins, and he had a hard time suppressing those emotions of disappointment, anger and fear. He could almost smell the fact that the hunting party walked into a trap, and the young chieftess had went on with only a small group of hunters. He didn't say they were going to die, merely that this would prove something for the rest of the journey. Stormfire wanted to prove that she could lead, and she became too eager to push through her own opinion. Now, then, for what did she have all those elders, then?
He completely ignored Mist addressing him, still upset by the scolding. Only Sunsong's poke was answered by a swift warning glare. "Go, if you want to," he told Evenstar. "But apparently our chieftess wants us to stick together and wants us to guard all of you. So," he added with a voice dripping in sarcasm, "Go risk wisely."
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Post by Multi-Facets on Nov 8, 2008 16:02:53 GMT -6
"If we're done acting as if we're nothing but sourberries inside?" Shellslip prompted with a hand on her hip. "There's a camp to be made again and bellies to feed. We need to go now if that's going to happen, don't we?"
This would probably start another argument, and she hated that idea, but it had to be said. If another debate began, she would just go back alone.
Well, not entirely alone. Silent would more than likely come with her, but that was almost as bad as going alone.
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Post by peachbug on Nov 8, 2008 16:49:43 GMT -6
*Timmorn's blood, you act like troll grubs! If you and Thornberry plan to complain of the Now forgotten, but drag us back to what is done, have a fine time by it.* Evenstar sent coldly for all to hear, directedly at Longdusk. *I will hunt and help. Go share in your miseries alone.* With a toss of her hair and fierce glare to Longdusk, the tanner looked to Sunsong. **Hunt?** She privately sent in a kinder tone, unwilling to have any more thoughts for the boys. Their complaining only strained her worried heart, and inside she trembled for their tribemates.
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Post by Viola on Nov 11, 2008 12:31:41 GMT -6
*Well, let's reason, then,* he snarled back. *Our chieftess just ran off to investigate a pile of rubble that smells like danger, with a large part of our hunters and scouts. We're a small group. If the rest of the hunters go away to hunt, what is left? We cannot split up once more to hunt. Let's go back to those dens Sunsong made, first. We don't have to make camp because we already have one. And we agreed with our chieftess we would go there. THEN, you can go hunt. As soon as the rest is safe.*
Sourberry or not, he knew he made sense. If Evenstar, Shellslip or any other was to run off now, near this pile of rubble, he knew it would cause trouble. If the tribe was to split up once more, for a hunt or not, the tribe would be even more vulnerable than it was now.
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Post by peachbug on Nov 11, 2008 14:12:24 GMT -6
Evenstar did not answer, a begrudging agreement to his reasoning. With a glance back to Icemark and Redthorn's cub, she knew she couldn't risk leaving her open for any dangers until they got back to camp. It did not lessen her hurt, however, and her frustration of Longdusk's challenge to Mist.
**Hunt after?** She locksent to Sunsong with some humor at her own surrender.
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