In the Woodlands (1)

[Westering Holt]

The sun-seared grass plains were well behind them now, and the arduous crossing all but forgotten. The cool depths of the green forest surrounded them, and the Wolfriders felt their hearts lighten, their spirits lift, as the familiar sensations of the woodlands caressed their senses. Trees, streams, animals – the rustle of leaves in wind, the call of birds, and distant songs of wolves. This was the place that their souls longed for.

They had spent three eights of nights traveling along the river, heading first with the setting sun on their right, then straight towards sun-goes-down. An eight of days after entering the forest, they had found a likely location for a new holt, where the river branched, but extended scouting had brought evidence of humans. Stormfire had led them on.

Almost eight days after that, the river had branched again. This was not territory familiar to the newest members of their tribe, and neither Starpath, Ashglow, nor Nightsun could offer any advise on which direction to take. It was then that they changed their direction towards sun-goes-down, but also where the setting sun was to their left.

The forest was thinning now; they were moving out of the thick-growing trees that turned even the brightest day into twilight. While the forests brought comfort to their souls, the elves knew they would do best to be closer to the edge of the woodlands, where the trees were spaced further apart and hunting was more varied and plentiful.

The sun would be rising soon, and Stormfire had requested the scouts to find a secure place to den for the day.

[Kris]

*Hurry back,* Stomfire sent to Windsoft and the scouts, chuckling at their cheerful assurances. The tribe was in a better mood than ever, thanks to their extended foray through the deepest woods the Wolfriders had seen since leaving home.

And Stormfire couldn't blame them. While she had no wish to live in the woods' heart--so deep where light couldn't pierce was no place for elves, who needed some light to survive--the edges were more like home. They spoke of home. She looked at tall trees and wondered why they leaned towards sun-comes-up; she smelled spicy bark and leaves, and wondered what Mist could make of them. And Snowtreader bounded about like a cub again, sticking her nose along the trails and in shrubs--and occasionally dragging out a squirrel or rabbit, growling in triumph.

She sighed and stretched. In spite of the fact that she could feel the season turning with every touch of the wind on her skin, Stormfire wanted to lie down and luxuriate in the breath of the trees.

[Anna]

Sunsong, Mist to Stormfire

*As you command, my chieftess,* Windsoft sent back, already out of sight with the others who's been dispersed to look for an appropriate place to rest for the day. The scouts had paired up and headed in slightly different directions. It shouldn't take long at all to find someplace suitable for the day's sleep.

Sunsong and Shade slipped up through the pack until the wolf walked between Snowtreader and Whitecold. She handed a plant she'd stopped to examine to Mist. "This will be useful, I think. I've never seen one before, but I sense similar properties in it to the one you use to draw poisons from cuts and wounds."

Mist took the plant and examined it closely. "We'll have to try it when we get settled," he said. His own magic wouldn't tell him a thing about the plant, but once he tried it against a wound, he would be able to monitor the progress and reaction of the body.

Sunsong smiled, then glanced at Stormfire. "Do you'll think we'll find someplace soon?" she asked wistfully.


Nightsun to whoever

Nightsun followed along behind most of the tribe. The journey since they'd joined the Wolfriders hadn't been too arduous. She and her brothers were accustomed to traveling great distances on foot. But the wolves made the travel more swift than she was accustomed to, and the Wolfriders night-living habits were difficult to adjust to. The wanderer found herself exhausted by down, and her sleep uneasy and restless under the sun's light. She felt fragile with weariness, and clumsy in the darkened woodlands. Where the Wolfriders and her brothers passed quiet as fog among the branches, roots, and fallen leaves, Nightsun heard the rustle and crack of twigs and leaves beneath her feet all too clearly. Every gnarled root her feet were sure to find, and she stumbled several times a night.

She knew that most of the Wolfriders were unhappy with the noise she made. She tried to be more careful, to move as they did. And, in truth, she knew that she was improving.

However, she felt no shame in her shortcomings. She had never had a need to move in silence, nor had she ever had to travel through the forest at night, when the dark of the sky was compounded by the shadows cast by wide-spreading branches. She tried to learn now what she had never had reason to learn before, and that was all that she, or anyone else, could reasonably expect.

The spirits that had guided her to the river had, once their wishes been met, departed. They, and others, came back often enough, but most of Nightsun's time now was no distracted by their insistent voices drawing her on one set course.

[Multi-Facets]

Silent to Nightsun:

She seemed so tired.

Silent had been staying close to Nightsun lately, just to watch her, to figure out why he thought she was similar to him. It wasn't easy; ever since he had found the river, it had become harder to sense things, and the Song was quiet- or rather, he couldn't hear it as well. Trying tended to give him headaches, but at least there were no nosebleeds.

Part of him hoped it was temporary, as he missed it. The other part hoped it wasn't.

So now, he had to rely on his eyes, and guesswork. And to his eyes, Nightsun could use some assistance.

**Would you give Nightsun a ride if I asked?** the silver-eyed elf inquired of his wolf-friend.

Wanderlust gave him a mental shrug. **Dark-hair lighter than friend, but not elf-friend,** she responded. **Ask nice.**

Silent dug his fingers between Wanderlust's shoulder-blades and scratched vigorously, making his wolf-friend writhe in pleasure. **Please?** he requested of the she-wolf after several blissful minutes.

The pale wolf sent agreement, and Silent nudged her closer to Nightsun until the three were all side by side. **Your steps are heavy,** he sent to the tanned maiden. **Are you tired?**

[Anna]

Nightsun to Silent

Nightsun looked at the strangely silent youth. She had noted that he seemed to often be near her, but she had never heard him speak. His kin treated him with fondness, but seldom seemed to expect him to contribute much to their hunts or preparations for each morning's rest. She was curious about him, as she was curious about them all.

"I am not accustomed to travelling by night and sleeping by day," she admitted with a smile. "My sleep has been unrestful as my body insists that it should be waking and active when the sun shines done upon us." Nightsun longed to reach out a hand and stroke the wolf's shoulder, but she knew better. Tame though they seemed to be when ridden by their elves, Nightsun had observed them at other times, and knew that they were no more tame than the eagles that flew the sky. "Your friends are very swift," she said.

Then she looked at him, golden eyes focusing with steady clarity on him. "You are the one they call Silent?"

[Multi-Facets]

Silent to Nightsun:


**Yes, I am.** Silent acknowledged. **And you're Nightsun. I'm glad to meet you.** He did not quite understand the problem Nightsun admitted to; there were stories of times when Wolfriders had traveled by day, rather than night, and then later turned to the night to protect them. Had they had that difficulty?

**We're used to traveling light and hard,** Silent said, shrugging. **I asked Wanderlust if she would agree to let you ride her, and she has. If you need to rest, her back is strong enough to carry you far and easily.**

Hopefully she wouldn't be offended by the offer.

[Anna]

Nightsun to Silent

Nightsun reached out, took Silent's hand, and squeezed it lightly before letting it go. "You are very kind, Silent, and I thank you for the offer. I am well accustomed to walking, however, and could not deprive you of your friend." She looked down at the wolf, carefully avoiding looking the animal in the eyes. She had noticed that eye contact was uncommon among them and assumed there was a reason for it. "I thank you as well, graceful one. You are generous and kind."

[Kris]

Stormfire to Sunsong

"I hope so," Stormfire answered, reaching to take Sunsong's hand. She watched Mist examine the plant and smiled. "There's so much here that reminds me of home. Even the trees, although some of them look . . . warped, somehow."

“Ah!” Sunsong laughed. “It’s the winds, Stormfire. The trees remember the winds when they were young and growing. But the winds must come a lot, for them to have grown this way. They never had a chance to unbend and grow straight. And then, they became too big to unbend.” She pointed to one example, an oddly gnarled tree that bent almost like a bow-stave, its needled branches looking like tufts of green feathers caught in a stiff breeze. Stormfire found herself chuckling at the sight. Sunsong giggled. “They see themselves as standing straight and tall, however!”

"We'll have to make sure our home-tree is strong enough to hold against these winds." She drew in a deep breath and sighed. "I could live on the scents alone! Smell that air, Sunsong--trees, flowers, and . . ."

Stormfire paused.

"And what?" Sunsong asked.

"Close your mouth, chieftess," Mist advised. "There are plenty of bugs flying in the air, too. You'll catch one."

Stormfire threw him an annoyed half-smile. **Then we can share it for dinner, old one,** she returned.

**Thank you, no. I prefer good red meat. You can have the bug.**

Snorting, Stormfire expanded her next sending to include Sunsong as well. **Take a good, deep breath, and tell me if you don't smell something strange. What is that odor?**

[Anna]

Sunsong, Mist to Stormfire


Sunsong glanced at Mist, then shrugged. She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and drew in a deep breath, slowly. She lets the scents linger over her tongue. "It's familiar," she said slowly. "I-I just can't quite place it."

Mist had also taken a deep breath. A line furrowed his brow as he analyzed what he was smelling and tasting. "It's like salt, but not quite," he finally said. "It's has the bite of salt, but the scent isn't quite right." His nostrils flared again. "It's faint."

"I wonder what it could be," Sunsong murmurred, tilting her head to one side.

[Multi-Facets]

Silent to Nightsun:

Silent gave Nightsun a bewildered look. Deprive him of Wanderlust? Where had she gotten that idea? **[faint yellow puzzlement]/That's not possible,** he sent. **Our minds touch wherever we are.**

Wanderlust nudged Nightsun's thigh in a friendly way, and gave her the submissive "grin", laying her ears back.

**May I ask you something?** Silent asked privately a moment later. **About what you said to Wingfoot to make him faint. Why you seem....** He tried to think of the right concept. **[touching something else]/[distant-different-private] (special?)** he sent at last.