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Post by peachbug on Nov 11, 2008 19:26:17 GMT -6
Redthorn laughed to herself at the stubbornness of the cubs and shook her head with a glance to her mate. Both had their fair points, but of course they had to wrestle over it like pups fresh from the den. She glanced at Lightgaze and locksent. **You certainly aren't going to have to worry about Longdusk showing throat too much. How you ever raised such a bit of skyfire amongst all your gentleness, my soul's sister...**
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Post by Multi-Facets on Nov 11, 2008 19:45:19 GMT -6
"Now we're getting somewhere," Shellslip sighed, and nudged Sniffer forward.
Wanderlust walked fast, wanting to get herself and her elf-friend AWAY from that pile of boulders.
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Post by Anna on Nov 11, 2008 23:28:18 GMT -6
*Enough,* Mist sent firmly. *We will do as our chieftess bid: return to the den Sunsong shaped yesterday. We will hunt together once we've neared that place, and have meat ready for the rest of the tribe when they return to us.* He glanced up, judging the position of the moons. They'd only traveled for an hour or two before parting with Stormfire, and it shouldn't take them long to reach their day's resting place. They would have plenty of time to hunt before dawn - and that wasn't necessarily a good thing. It left too much time to worry and wonder.
Sunsong gave Evenstar a smile at her invitation to hunt. *We'll all hunt,* she agreed with Mist, but gave Longdusk a worried look. She wished he could be calmed, that he'd have more faith in Stormfire, but thought maybe there was more to this intensity than the growl and grumble that they were hearing.
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Post by Kris on Nov 11, 2008 23:45:22 GMT -6
Wingfoot watched it all and sighed. He'd never pretend to understand Sureshot or his cubs. And Stormfire . . . well, the she-cub had proved her mettle when she earned her name. It was why he'd chosen to follow her instead of remaining at home.
In Wingfoot's opinion, Thornberry and Longdusk were two birds in a nest: they were sticklers for the order the Way ordained. Stormfire lived to explore the Way's boundaries. It might make her a good chief, perhaps even a great one. It could also, Wingfoot admitted, get her killed.
He edged close to Mist. "Quite a fix we're in, eh, healer?" Wingfoot allowed himself a small smile when Mist's posture stiffened. "Bit of a shock that she'd up and fly off like that. Not sure it's what her mother would've done. Maybe her sire . . . ?"
He didn't wait for Mist's response, but continued, "Who knows what will happen, eh? Maybe she'll find us dens to rest in. And maybe we'll have to ride back to the mountain come dawn."
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Post by Anna on Nov 12, 2008 0:36:58 GMT -6
Mist slid a glance at Wingfoot out of the corner of his eye, assessing the other elf's casual pose and almost idle comments. "I would say that, as she's neither her father nor her mothers, that she's done exactly as Stormfire would do," he answered mildly. "I make it a practice never to predict the future, beyond saying the sun will rise at dawn and the moons will follow their steady cycles."
He looked around at the small group and breathed a quiet side. "Shellslip, did you notice if there were any shellfish in the river by the den? Mussels may be a welcome change from red meat, and easier to gather."
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Post by Multi-Facets on Nov 12, 2008 2:17:25 GMT -6
Shellslip brightened. Ah, that was something she hadn't thought of. Silly of her, really, but the tribe HAD been mostly relying on land-meat. "There were some," she said eagerly. "I don't know if there would be enough for everyone, but I'll dig around, see if there's more. Maybe there will be fish, too. And I think perhaps I might have heard some snakes that the wolves could catch." She nodded importantly. "We'll all find something, I'm sure."
*Snakes tasty,* Sniffer agreed.
*Could find ravvits,* Wanderlust offered. *Ravvits everywhere.*
Silent smiled, stroking his wolf-friend's head.
"Let's hurry back, then," Shellslip stated. "The sooner there, the sooner we eat."
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Post by Viola on Nov 12, 2008 8:37:30 GMT -6
Longdusk disregarded Mist's send, because he basically had told Evenstar (and the rest) the same. Without a word, he did what he had intended and what Mist now told them, and followed Shellslip without looking at anyone specifically.
It was not that he wanted to challenge authority. He didn't want to challenge Stormfire, nor the elders, nor his tribesmates. But this pile of rubble upset him in a way he couldn't grasp, and he wanted to move away from it as fast as he could. The only way he knew he could do so, was chase everyone away and hopefully, in the right direction. He shot a glance at Mist when he moved his wolf alongside him, and summoned his wolf to go back to the way they came from.
~*~*~*~
Lightgaze smiled at Redthorn's send with some worry and regret. **Something's troubling him, that cub of mine. He's not himself. But you're right -- sometimes I think there's more of Tracker in him, but he didn't have outbursts like these. He's just... who he is,** she answered her soul sister with a hint of apology.
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Post by peachbug on Nov 15, 2008 15:36:19 GMT -6
**He'll be as he is, no regrets for it, Lightgaze. Time and space must be my gifts to him, I fear. Words will only fuel his worries.** Redthorn smiled, and gave her soulsister a loving glance. **You are a good mother.**
Evenstar mildly listened to Wingfoot and Mist's words ahead of her, but kept her thoughts to herself. She was slightly embarassed at her outburst, and hoped for nothing more than a good rest and to goad some play from Farpace, who was watching her out of the corner of her eye with a mother's concern. **Relax.** Evenstar sent humorously.
Farpace snorted and hopped unnecessarily over a small branch, bumping Evenstar around a bit. Laughpanting at Evenstar's quick yelp, Farpace gave her a sly look. That would show the elf friend.
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Post by Multi-Facets on Nov 19, 2008 17:50:25 GMT -6
It took some time, but the little group did return to their last camp site. Silent dismounted Wanderlust and sent her off to hunt for herself, stressing she was not to hunt for him, if at all, until she had something.
The she-wolf agreed, leaving, and Silent went for the branch-den he had occupied in their last stay. He would put away his things and try to keep his mind off the mountain and the Song that sickened around it. Maybe he could practice with the sling his father gave him. There were certainly lots of pebbles about.
Shellslip went to the stream and slipped off her clothing, folding it neatly by the stream before braiding her hair and grabbing her knife. Then she easily slid in to look for the morsels that would help sate her friends' hunger. There were rocks aplenty here, and as a result, there were many places for fish to hide and mussels to cling.
Nimble fingers trailed over the rocks' surfaces, and soon after, mussels started sailing onto the bank near Shellslip's clothes.
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Post by Viola on Nov 20, 2008 12:43:36 GMT -6
Upon arriving at the deserted camp, Lightgaze went to the den she had shared with Longdusk on the night before. Her legs felt like rocks, and she was tired of moving already. The constantly changing terrain worked on her nerves, and having to go back proved to be a setback, as well. Plus, the feeling the pile of rubble gave her had eated away her courage. All she wanted to do was sleep before they would move once more.
~*~*~*~
Longdusk's temper had quieted down, but he wasn't his usual self yet. He told his wolf to hunt for his own, because he had saved something from their last hunt. Besides, if a couple of them would take off to hunt, they would need someone to watch over the others. He'd noticed his mother quietly looking for their shared den, and didn't want to bother her. Happy to have her along, he didn't question why she already went to have some rest. There had been days which had taken more travel time than this one.
*Go hunt,* he told Sunsong and Evenstar in a much more pleasant tone than he had before, including the rest of their small group. *I'll stay here and watch over the ones who don't go.*
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