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Post by Kris on May 21, 2009 21:36:53 GMT -6
*Bye, Softling!* Whirlwind sent, pleased to see the youngster chosen for the scouting party. The glee she sensed from Softling made her laugh. Skyfire and wind, but the cubling needed a little responsibility to bring her out of her shell--and High Ones bless Windsoft for giving it to her.
*What about me?* Tallspear sent as he passed her. Whirlwind made the worst face she could muster, laughing as Tallspear pretended to pout. *Oh, fine. Be that way. I'm going to drink your water as well as mine, for that.*
*Hah! You'll be lucky not to fall on your face in a mud-puddle,* Whirlwind taunted. She wagged a finger at him. *Just take care of Softling--and I don't mean, take care to roll her into the furs! That can wait, itch-breeches!*
*Go poke a troll,* Tallspear returned with the same good humor, and Whirlwind chuckled as he rode off.
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Post by Kris on May 21, 2009 21:40:12 GMT -6
Stormfire sighed as Windsoft and the scouts moved away. "I really should be with them," she muttered. As she put a hand on her hip, moving over her belt-pouch with its stone egg contents, she caught sight of Mist, and realized he'd heard her.
"I can't help it," she exclaimed. "There could be humans or bears, or worse. I don't know what trouble might cross their paths."
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Post by Multi-Facets on May 21, 2009 21:51:39 GMT -6
Hearing that, Silent stood and touched Stormfire's shoulder again, trying to be soothing. *No trouble,* he assured her. *I didn't hear any. They'll be fine; please don't worry, Chieftess.*
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Post by Anna on May 21, 2009 22:14:39 GMT -6
Mist chuckled and shook his head. "There, you see? Silent says there's no danger. Come, chieftess. Lead your tribe and trust your scouts to do what you've asked them to do."
The healer headed for his wolf, burying his hand in her ruff as the tribe started moving in the direction Windsoft had led her small band. Oakstaff sighed mournfully at being left behind, but drifted to the outside of the tribe, taking a guard position.
Sunsong hummed quietly to herself, her stomach comfortable, but not overstuffed. She wished they'd had time to dry some of the meat, but they hadn't. At least now they knew how to find the little beasties!
Skipping to Stormfire's side, Sunsong linked hands with her friend and smiled. "I'm surprised you didn't go with Windsoft," she said lightly. "You'd enjoy that much more than lagging behind with us!" She winked at Silent. "Although, we are the more interesting group!"
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Post by peachbug on May 21, 2009 22:31:24 GMT -6
Softling's eagerness spilled into her return sending to Whirlwind, not words, but hopefulness and giddyness. Useful, she wanted to be valuable. Surely things would make more sense if she became a resource for the Wolfriders. *Hah! You'll be lucky not to fall on your face in a mud-puddle,* Whirlwind taunted. She wagged a finger at him. *Just take care of Softling--and I don't mean, take care to roll her into the furs! That can wait, itch-breeches!* *Go poke a troll,* Tallspear returned with the same good humor, and Whirlwind chuckled as he rode off. Softling's ear tips turned red as she tried to pretend she hadn't just been aware of that open sending. The concept of joining was certainly not new or odd for her, but she felt out of place within the group, much less finding lovemates or more. Yes, she told herself with humorous certainty. 'With the way I make myself to be, Snapbone will be the closest thing to lovemate, Recognition, and cub I'll ever get!' |
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Post by peachbug on May 21, 2009 23:21:59 GMT -6
Evenstar stood away, humming, her hands clasped over her full belly. Soon there would be water, no doubt. The experiences till now, the mountain, the hunts, now her new use of her gift, they gave her a strange feeling she hadn't had before. *We will build a fine holt, Chieftess.* She sent without looking back. *When we find it.*
Confidence sprang in her. Even the Now was simple again. Whether it was the pleasure of fullness after want, all her worries melted.
------------
Redthorn watched her soul-sister's son join the scouts with approval. Keeping the grown cub busy, perhaps they could they avert his worries for the Wolfriders and his mother for awhile. His burden of concern hadn't seemed to have lifted as much as she'd wished for. The huntress feared she was being no help, having expressed her own concerns so ambiguously after they'd discovered the mountain place. She needed to be a better support, a stronger elder.
Redthorn walked to Lightgaze's side and touched her arm thoughtfully.
**Meith.** She sent her shared love for Longdusk, of course mixed with her own love of Silvercub and Icemark. Her precious ones. She sighed. **High Ones know I never dreamed us taking a journey like this before our spirits left us! I can't imagine how Longdusk and I would have fared without you.** She paused deeply, and sent with humor.
**What an adventure Sureshot and Waterdance's daughter has made for us, hm?**
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Post by Kris on May 23, 2009 22:11:43 GMT -6
Hearing that, Silent stood and touched Stormfire's shoulder again, trying to be soothing. *No trouble,* he assured her. *I didn't hear any. They'll be fine; please don't worry, Chieftess.* Mist chuckled and shook his head. "There, you see? Silent says there's no danger. Come, chieftess. Lead your tribe and trust your scouts to do what you've asked them to do." Stormfire threw Mist a wry smile. "Don't worry. Trust in my tribemates, I've got." She paused, and then added in a lock-send, **And in you too, Healer. No matter how much I tease.** She turned to Silent and clasped his hand quickly. "Thanks, Silent. You know, you may have done us a great favor this night. Even if it takes all night and day to find water, at least you've assured us that it's there." Silent's joy was palpable as he fell into step beside her, and Stormfire found herself a little more light-hearted. Perhaps this was what she needed to learn--how to stay, to comfort and raise her tribe's hearts through something else than just daring. She remembered her words to Longtooth. Well, she'd forgotten that a chief had to be parent as well as leader. Thank the High Ones she was beginning to understand just what that meant . . . Stormfire squeezed Sunsong's hand. **Windsoft knows what she's doing,** she sent. **And I need to stay so I can learn what to do.** |
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Post by Multi-Facets on May 24, 2009 1:42:51 GMT -6
Interesting? He was interesting? Silent's pale cheeks slowly flooded with pink, and he pulled the hood of his mantle a little lower to hide it. Stormfire's thanks made the blushing worse, but it also made him smile.
Now it felt as though he did have a right, however temporary, to walk beside the chieftess.
Wanderlust approached once they got nearer to the others, holding one of the prairie dogs in her mouth. **Full,** she told her elf-friend, and stretched her neck to offer the small animal to him.
Silent gave Wanderlust profuse thanks, and took the animal, widening a tear in its skin and biting deep. Rich blood and soft flesh washed over his senses, and he closed his eyes, relishing it.
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Post by Anna on May 24, 2009 15:51:11 GMT -6
Stormfire squeezed Sunsong's hand. **Windsoft knows what she's doing,** she sent. **And I need to stay so I can learn what to do.** Sunsong considered Stormfire for a long moment, then leaned over and brushed her head against her friend's shoulder. **You are a good chieftess,** she said simply, her trust and love a bright rainbow behind her sending. Stormfire threw Mist a wry smile. "Don't worry. Trust in my tribemates, I've got." She paused, and then added in a lock-send, **And in you too, Healer. No matter how much I tease.** Mist looked at Stormfire and arched his eyebrows at her. He'd never doubted that she trusted him. Why had she felt the need to tell him so? He dropped back to ride amidst the rest of the tribe as Silent settled himself at Stormfire's side, basking in the glow of her approval. He needed to think, and Stormfire needed to lead. He buried his hands in Whitecold's ruff and bent his gaze to the wolf's ears. He trusted the scouts, guards, and hunters that road on the outside of the group to alert them to any danger, and he allowed his throughts to spiral inward. He had dismissed Stormfire's teasing over the past moons as the same as ever it had been: a cub pouncing on an elder's tail, growling and wrestling as she practiced skills she'd need as an adult. Her send, however, had undertones that challenged those assumptions. HE had never questioned her trust in him - but she obviously had given it considerable thought if she felt the need to reassure him. And the teasing...a cub didn't think about teasing. She just did it. Stormfire had just all but admitted to doing it on purpose, and when a elf maiden teased, there was often a very different purpose behind it. At that point, his mind balked at going any further. Stormfire was a cub. His best friend's youngest daughter. He'd cleaned her bottom not so many seasons ago. He'd taught her to swim, when she'd been too impatient to wait for one of her parents to do it, and had refused to ask Firecat to do it. He could remember, so clearly, holding her slim, child's body in the water, explaining how to float and how to move her arms and legs. He remembered her coming up for air, spluttering water in his face and shrieking with laughter when he splashed her. The same with sewing - she'd come to him to learn the skill, instead of the tribe's weaver. Mist never knew if Lightgaze had realized Stormfire had done so. He could see again the frown between her brows as her tiny hands pushed the needle through the bit of cloth he'd given her to practice on, and him explain the purposes of the different stitches. 'She's a child!' he thought, what he knew conflicting sharply with the new perception his thoughts had led him to. 'Sureshot's child, his precious girl cub. I have no business - I will not - assume she means more than that. Just because she's beginning to act like a chief doesn't mean she's not still a child.'His decision made, Mist blinked and brought himself out of the depth of his thoughts and into an awareness of his surroundings again. From the position of the moons, he could tell some time had passed. He stubbornly ignored the niggling doubt that scratched at the back of his mind, the doubt that told him that he was making a mistake. |
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Post by Kris on May 24, 2009 16:29:03 GMT -6
Journey chewed his lip as Bigears strode through the tall grass, wondering if he hadn't made a mistake.
Why hadn't he joined the scouts?
Well . . . for one reason, because his mother hadn't asked.
It didn't rankle. Journey knew Windsoft; his mother would pick the scouts she felt would have the surest chance of finding water. With his mouth aching for cool, sweet water--and not the stuff in his waterskin that tasted like a tanning pool's leavings--Journey hoped they'd find it soon.
But waiting back with the tribe for the scouts to return?
Boring.
He sighed. Whirlwind was walking beside Wingfoot, and Stormfire and Sunsong were hand-in-hand. Tallspear was off with Softling with the scouts. And Silvercub was sweet--but she was, after all, just a cub.
A nagging voice in his head said, if you do this, Windsoft will be very, very angry with you.
And if I don't do this, I'll die of boredom, he answered it back. The voice shut up, and Journey made up his mind. He lowered his head to his wolf's. "C'mon, Bigears," he urged. "Let's go!"
The wolf shot through the grass, and Journey closed his ears and minds to the sends and shouts that followed him. One made him wince; it was Stormfire.
**Journey, you feckless cub! Get back here or I'll pin your tail to a tree when we find you!**
Ohhh, she was angry. Journey just hoped it really would be easier to beg forgiveness when he got back. He kept his head low and let Bigears race through the grass after his mother and her scouting party.
# # # #
Stormfire saw Bigears flee, with Journey clinging to his back, and her first thought was, He's found game! Then Journey kept on going, and she realized, Game? If he'd found game, he'd tell us! He's going after the scouts--the crazy little treewee!
In that moment, she understood how Mist had felt. Time she could have spent making sure the rest of the tribe was fed and keeping up their strength would now be time spent worrying over Journey. She was sure her sending made him crackle between the ears, and she planned to give him a couple of thumps that would make them ring, too.
"He'll be all right," Sunsong tried to reassure her, although her friend's eyes were worried as she looked into the distance. "I'm sure we'd have heard if the scouts met up with anything!"
Stormfire gritted her teeth. "He'd better hope so," she muttered.
"Don't worry, Chieftess," said Wingfoot, coming up behind her. Stormfire glanced sidelong at him; he gave her a half-smile and added, "It's only natural for the young to want to risk danger for their tribemates. Or with them."
Stormfire stopped in her tracks. She heard Sunsong's intake of breath, but only saw Wingfoot before her--with that mocking little half-smile. She'd never been slow at hearing what wasn't said as well as what was. Sureshot had made sure of that.
They'll test you, he'd said, but she hadn't expected this kind of test from this particular elder.
"I made the decision to stay here for the tribe's sake, Wingfoot," she said, holding his gaze with her own. "I am chieftess, but more, I am Stormfire. I proved myself to myself long ago. But if you feel otherwise, I'm sure you can find the way back to Sureshot."
She turned and continued walking. After a moment, Whirlwind sent, **Sister? He didn't--**
**He's old enough not to need you making his excuses, Whirlwind,** Stormfire returned, and kept walking.
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