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Post by Kris on May 24, 2009 18:04:15 GMT -6
Journey let Bigears stop for a breather, panting along with him. Both elf and wolf were jubilant. After several hours' pursuit, they were about to catch up with the scouts.
He dismounted, poured some water from his skin into his palm, and let Bigears drink. Taking a quick, if reluctant, swig himself, Journey hauled himself back up on his wolf-friend. "Off we go, Bigears," he murmured. "Time to be where the fun really is!"
And Bigears whuffed once and took off through the grass again, letting out short, sharp barks as he caught up with their scouting kin.
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Post by peachbug on May 24, 2009 18:55:21 GMT -6
Softling spun round at the wolf's faint barks, her mouth forming an 'o' of confusion, startlement, and then horror. As the wolf and elf overtaking the scouts drew closer, the tracker's nose, aching slightly from testing the dry air for hours, recognized the scents easily.
*Windsoft!* She sent desperately, "What is Journey doing?!*
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Post by Anna on May 24, 2009 19:43:44 GMT -6
At Softling's send, Windsoft straightened up and Bristlecone immediately slackened her pace. As the wolf came almost to a stop and danced around to face the oncoming Journey, Windsoft felt a jagged shard of fear slice across her mind. What was her cub doing here? Had something happened to their tribemates?
*Journey!* she sent sharply. *What's happened? Why aren't you with Stormfire?*
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Post by Kris on May 24, 2009 21:24:57 GMT -6
Journey dismounted from Bigears, catching his breath. Thirst almost choked him. He reached for his waterskin and sucked liquid from it, grimacing at the awful taste, before he answered Windsoft's send.
**Nothing's wrong, Mother. Everything's fine. I just wanted to join the scouts.** He gave her a wide grin. **Anyone find water yet?**
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Post by Anna on May 24, 2009 22:00:39 GMT -6
Windsoft had lept from Bristlecone's back as soon as Journey reached them, and had raced to her son before he'd responded to her send. Now she stared at him, unable to believe his answer, and the additional information attached to that send. His decision to leave the tribe. His willful disregard for the call of his chieftess. And the reason for his disobedience: simple boredom.
Windsoft doted on her child. She'd encouraged his curiosity, his testing of boundaries, his energetic approach to life. She'd taken pride in his intelligence and his zest for life.
Never had she thought that she'd raised a cub to be so disrespectful and... and... and....
*YOU FOOLISH CUB!* she 'shouted' at him fit to sting the minds of all around them. She followed the reprimand with a blow to the side of his head that numbed his ear and rattled his brain. It was the first time Windsoft had ever struck him - and it wasn't the blow of a mother to child.
*How DARE you? What makes you think you know what's best for the tribe, or the scouts? I did not call you to this task for a reason, you ravvit-wit! You've deprived the tribe of one more protector, which High Ones only know if they'll need! You endangered yourself by riding across unknown territory all alone!*
Windsoft barely restrained herself from striking him again, she was so angry. She drew back, away from him, and remounted Bristlecone. *Ride in the middle, infant,* she said coldly. *Do not distract my scouts, and do not get in the way. We'll see what your chieftess has to say to you when we meet up with her again.*
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Post by Kris on May 24, 2009 22:28:12 GMT -6
Tallspear's heart had flown to his throat when Journey came riding up, out of breath on a nearly-spent Bigears. One look at Journey's wide grin when he lock-sent to Windsoft had made the hunter's hackles rise. He knew that grin, and knew full well that the tribe had likely been in no danger when Journey left. That didn't mean that the tribe wasn't in danger now.
The witless little squirrel--if he'd lead round-ears to their trail, Tallspear promised to beat him bloody and dump him in a patch of sting-nettles.
And then Windsoft knocked Journey sprawling and lit into him with a sending that nearly scorched everyone's ears off. Tallspear saw Softling flinch and, without thinking, reached out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He didn't take his eyes off Journey, feeling his lip curl as the youth, shaking from his mother's rage, crawled onto Bigears' back and clung to his ruff--riding, as Windsoft ordered, in the middle of the scouts' band.
Tallspear wanted badly to improve on the blow Windsoft had dealt her cub, if only to assuage his own anger and disappointment. He was fond of Journey--but not so fond that he was ready to excuse him. Falling back from his place, he came up beside Journey. To his credit, the youth cringed and lowered his head.
**I'm sorry,** he sent, shivering; Tallspear noted the submissive posture and kept silent. **Please--Tallspear, I didn't mean any harm--**
**Just hope your foolish chase after us hasn't brought any hiding humans out after us,** Tallspear returned. **Or after those you left behind, all for your selfish intent.**
He glanced through the grass, and urged his wolf-friend forward. He hadn't seen a trail all night, but something told him it might not be long. Glancing up at the moons, Tallspear wondered if they'd find something before sunrise, or if they'd spend another day hunched in the shade, chewing their waterskins for the last bit of water.
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Post by peachbug on May 24, 2009 23:11:48 GMT -6
Softling was horrified beyond words or sendings at Journey's cheerful expression as he locksent to his mother, but Windsoft's response terrified her. It was logical, she supposed, but to see Windsoft lose control, Softling could only hunch away from the brunt of the blow and the sending she was witness to. She felt Tallspear's hand, but her mind was still reeling from the explosiveness of Windsoft's reaction.
She had never sent her own mother into such a rage as a small cub, not her father as an older one, and none of the other holtmates. Not even at her worst tantrum or stubbornness had she done something like what Journey had taken in on himself to do. And she'd certainly never been struck for it.
Softling brought her green-gold gaze back on Journey as Bigears slunk slightly ahead of her to ride in the middle. He must have been riding for hours, the tree-wee brained...something. Tallspear drew back, and gave him a look that gave her only the insight of a locksending between the two.
Figuring out what Journey had just done was still like smacking her head on a stump, so she just pushed it away. Water, she pressed to herself, water, game, anything...
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Post by Viola on May 25, 2009 2:06:30 GMT -6
Longdusk snarled at Journey as he went past him to the center of the group. He'd known from the start that the lad was going to give at least SOME troubles. Journey was reckless, troublesome and didn't think about what any of his actions might lead to -- as long as he felt good about it himself. The slap Journey received made him narrow his eyes. It was a well-deserved one, he figured, and if Windsoft hadn't done it, he probably would have.
Shaken up, he tried to focus on what he had been doing but truth to be told, he was getting frustrated that Silent's direction hadn't given them any results as of yet. And now they had yet another cub to take care of.
Fleetfoot had been a troublesome cub, but she'd never defied orders like this. The boy would need some serious punishment when they returned, or he would continue to do his own bidding.
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Post by Viola on May 25, 2009 16:07:41 GMT -6
Getting more and more agitated of the trip, and still very much annoyed with Journey, Longdusk was about to tell Windsoft that they'd better give up and move into another direction. The remainder of his water was gone now, too, and Longdusk was thirsty. Flea was even more, and the hunter noticed the wolf was getting restless because of it.
But then, a bit further away in the grass, there seemed to be an opening. Alerted, he looked up, touching Windsoft's mind before urging Flea to move faster. And even before they had reached the open spot, he had already jumped off the wolf's back.
It wasn't a spot, it was actually a trail through the grass, which had been squished under the weight of animals, and they seemed to have moved away from here -- into the direction Silent had pointed out. *Trails!* he sent out, caution mixed with hope and a hint of relief, *Animals passed here, and they all went into the same direction. They MUST have a water source nearby!*
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Post by Anna on May 26, 2009 20:56:20 GMT -6
Windsoft pulled Bristlecone up, then directed her to swerve back to join Longdusk as his excited send reached them all. Tallspear and Softling flanked her, with Journey dead center behind. The hours of riding had allowed her initial anger and fear to fade and she no longer wanted to cuff her cub until his eyes were dazed with shooting stars, but worse than her anger was her disappointment - in herself, as much as him.
But Longdusk's discovery drove that to the back of her mind and she grinned at the older scout. *You're right, there must be! High Ones praise your sharp eyes, Longdusk! Let's follow this trail to its end!*
Taking the lead again, Windsoft sent her wolf racing down the trail. The wolves caught their excitement and pushed themselves faster than they'd been travelling before. Windsoft tried to slow her friend, but the she-wolf ignored any attempt to delay them.
It wasn't long before a faint breeze danced by them and Windsoft scented the unmistakable aroma that was water, and fresh, green things surrounded by moist earth. *Water!* she sent, plastering herself to Bristlecone's back as the wolf exerted even more speed. The wolves wouldn't be stopped now, not with the smell of water in their nostrils. Windsoft extended all of her own senses as much as possible, to catch any hint of danger as they flew along the trail that wove through the grass plain that might, just might, have an end after all.
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