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Post by Anna on Jun 14, 2009 22:17:50 GMT -6
Nightsun's eyes widened as one male stepped out from the rest. Her gazed locked on his, gold to liquid darkness. Narrow were those eyes, sharp and keen. Skin as pale as the silvery moons and hair nearly as dark as her own. She held that gaze, as fascinated as a viper's prey, hypnotized by some sense she couldn't name. Her body swayed slightly as he came closer, and she gasped for air as the world began to swim. She'd forgotten to breathe!
Just as she was about to repeat what she'd said before, that the others had not given her their hidden names, a whisper brushed her mind. She reached out without thinking and laid her hand against this one's cheek, feeling the soft silk of his skin, and the short prickle of the hair that traced his jaw. **Orm,** she answered him softly. **Pinecone's secret name is Orm, and he bids his son greeting.**
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Post by Kris on Jun 14, 2009 22:23:44 GMT -6
Orm. Pinecone's soulname, the last thing his sire had shared with him before dying from a bear's vicious attack, swept over Wingfoot with a flood of memories. Some were so old that he'd forgotten them; others felt new, although his sire had been dead for nearly half his life.
It was as if Pinecone stood once more before him, and as Wingfoot stared down at Nightsun's round, lovely face, he felt as giddy as a cub. She had no idea what a gift she'd given him. In spite of all his years and his status as an elder, losing his parents had been the most painful thing he'd ever suffered.
He smiled at her, nodding . . . and knew nothing more as the grass came up to meet him with a thud.
Stormfire saw Wingfoot smile, and gave a small sigh of relief--and gasped as the elder suddenly crashed to the ground like a stricken tree. "Wingfoot!" she exclaimed, and Mist hurried to him. "What happened?"
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Post by meimei on Jun 15, 2009 0:27:09 GMT -6
Ashglow had only been able to stare in shock at the sight of the strangers. Elves?? Could they really be elves? A part of him could not believe it to be true. He pretty much missed his sister's initial greeting in his confusion. He gritted his jaw when they approached - not liking the intrusion one bit. He saw Starpath raise his spear in warning, and one of the strange elves seemed to reply in kind.
He pulled out his arrow-whip - eyes narrowing. If they dared to harm his siblings...
He heard Nightsun's plea, but he only shook his head with a scowl. How did they know they could trust them? From the wild beasts they rode to the weapons they carried, it was obvious they were hunters and fighters. But he paused when he spotted one elf turn and walk away, carrying a youth in his arms. A child? Slowly he lowered his arrowwhip - though he did not put it away. Surely if they meant harm, they wouldn't have brought their children with them?
He listened to Nightsun's words, but still could make little sense of them. The names were certainly not familiar to him at all. Who were these strangers? He scowled as one approached his sister, and sending passed between them. When the elf passed out, he stepped protectively to his Nightsun's side. He didn't know what had happened, but he knew he'd have blamed if Nightsun had been the one to collapse.
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Post by Multi-Facets on Jun 15, 2009 3:21:06 GMT -6
Silent yipped in surprise when Wingfoot simply folded to the ground. What in the world had this Nightsun told him? It must have been truly staggering. What was going on here?
He looked at Nightsun and leaned on Wanderlust, daring to open his mind and "listen". The Song weaving about and through her was odd, but not bad. It was simply very strange, something he had never experienced before. The silver-eyed elf withdrew, closing his mind again, and wondered.
=====
The entire situation was so strange, Shellslip actually started giggling. In the face of such absurdity, how could she not? It seemed the only way to keep a level head at the moment. The sight of poor Wingfoot crumbling made her laugh a little harder, however. Things like that were always funny when they happened to someone else.
What other surprises could they expect?
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Post by Viola on Jun 15, 2009 4:15:20 GMT -6
Longdusk felt his skin crawl as the darkskinned female told him that his deceased lifemate had told her. He growled deeply, hearing his father's and lifemate's name from that... elf! Was she an elf? What strange tricks were laid out here?! When Wingfoot collapsed, and Stormfire and Mist hurried over to him, he jumped in front of them with a snarl, ready to protect them if these elves tried anything. He didn't know what had happened between the female and the elder, but it had passed him out completely!
He felt the urge to jump over and force her to tell where she'd gotten these names, but for now, three against one seemed a little too much even for him to take. Skylight's death had been a severe blow, and now someone he didn't know spoke of her, it made him feel as if he was being toyed with. A snarl excaped his throat.
~*~
"Oh," Lightgaze breathed, and her eyes widened as she heard the name of her father and lifemate, right before Wingfoot collapsed. She stared, wide-eyed, to the dark female and her gaze shot to the two males on her side. She took a step back, and unconciously tried to lock-send to her mate. The send connected to nobody's mind, and Lightgaze only realized that she had sent, when se felt no connection. It was the same feeling she'd had right after Tracker's death. Now, this female brought it all back up.
When Longdusk jumped in front of Wingfoot and the healer, she took another step back, but was half lost in memories, some of which she thought were long forgotten. "How..?" she breathed, but she couldn't make one coherent sentence.
~*~
With Wingfoot's collapse, Firecat tightened the grip around her weapon, and added to the send she had shared with her sister before: **A very weird form of Moon madness.** What was her deal? Talking with ghosts? She suppressed a snort.
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Post by Anna on Jun 15, 2009 17:50:34 GMT -6
“Oh!” Nightsun flinched back as the male before her abruptly collapsed and his companions rushed towards them. She stepped back, seeking the safety and shelter of her brothers. She watched wide-eyed and frightened as a silver-haired male spread his hands over the fallen one. “Is…is he unwell?” she asked faintly, pressing back against Ashglow’s chest, unheeding of the fact that she was preventing him from raising his arrow-whip again. “Please? He is not hurt, is he? I-I didn’t do anything!” Nightsun twisted her fingers around each other, biting her lip as her gaze stayed fastened on the dark-eyed male who’d asked her for the name.
She gasped as another male leaped in front of the fallen one, his stance protective and threatening. Instinctively she took a step back from him, forcing Ashglow to move, too. Faced with the threat inherent in the other’s position, she wilted, huddling against her brother, her wide gaze flickering between him and the one who’d first approached. When he snarled, she paled and swallowed hard. “I-I didn’t do anything…” she whispered, blinking quickly. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Mist lifted his hands and shook his head. “He’s fine,” he announced to them all. “Just a bit more of a shock than he was prepared for. Wake up now, Wingfoot,” the healer added, touching the elder between his eyebrows with one fingertip, and using a bare hint of healing energy to rouse him. “Wake up, stand up, and stop scaring your tribemates, you treewee.”
Sunsong looked at Shellslip and bit her lip, trying to not join the other in her giggle. She slipped back, leaving the handling of the situation to Stormfire, Mist, and the other elders, and took a place beside Shellslip. “It’s not funny,” she whispered, a sparkle of unreleased laughter edging her tone, “but it’s funny! Did you see him just go down like that?”
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Post by Multi-Facets on Jun 15, 2009 20:10:10 GMT -6
"Yes!" Shellslip squeaked, and covered her mouth to muffle a louder laugh. **He's normally so sure of himself, and down he goes, whoomph!** she lock-sent to Sunsong, thoughts bright with humor. **This will be something worth teasing him about, but only for a little while. We don't want to hurt his feelings too much, do we?**
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Post by Anna on Jun 15, 2009 20:24:53 GMT -6
Sunsong widened her eyes innocently. **How could two young cubs such as we,** she replied merrily, **hurt the feelings of so dignified an elder?** She grinned, slipping her arm around Shellslip's waist and leaned against the gatherer. She giggled, looking towards the still prone Wingfoot. **Oh, no, my friend! We shall tease him for quite some time!**
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Post by Kris on Jun 15, 2009 22:40:57 GMT -6
Stormfire was unable to keep back a snicker when Wingfoot opened his eyes. The elder's eyes crossed, rolled, and finally narrowed in a scowl when he saw Mist in front of him. "You can move away now, Healer," he growled, sitting upright. He threw Stormfire an irritated glower, but sent, **She's telling the truth. She knew Pinecone's soulname.**
The chieftess turned back to Nightsun and fought the chill that went through her. It was said that the Father Tree at home cradled the spirits of dead Wolfriders, but Stormfire had never known an elf who could actually talk to them. She wasn't sure she'd have wanted to. If you could see the dead, the elders claimed, you were too close to them to begin with.
Her heart sank a little. She was beginning to like Nightsun; she hated to think the dark maiden was fated for an early death. But Stormfire squared her shoulders back and gave Nightsun a reassuring smile. No matter what, she had told Stormfire the truth, and the chieftess was prepared to do her duty to tribe and host.
"We're grateful to you for your hospitality, Nightsun," she said. She looked at the males standing behind her. "We mean you no harm. We're only travelers at this moment, searching for a new holt in new lands." She held out her hand. "We'd be honored to share meat and water with you."
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Post by Anna on Jun 16, 2009 22:39:20 GMT -6
"Especially since it's their meat and water," Oakstaff commented drily. "Don't know much sharing we'll be doing."
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