Council in the holt-glen

[Viola]

Longdusk's ear twitched when he felt someone tickling, but he didn't pay attention. Usually, when you ignored this kind of behaviour, it would go away. Then, his other ear got the same treatment, and he growled lowly, but saying nothing of it. Lightgaze sat down on a root, and he leaned against it, waiting for the rest to arrive.

Firecat grinned at Sunsong's reply and laughed when her mother corrected her. "I know, councils are serious matter. I just like to see Sunsong so happy," she apologized. Unaware of it, she leaned into Hazel's embrace, who closed his eyes and sighed.

[Anna]

"I'm always happy," Sunsong assured her. "Even when Longdusk won't play with me," she added, leaning over and ruffling the other elf's hair. Her mother reached over, grabbed her hand, and pulled her back upright.

"Sunsong! Please! Leave him alone and be still!" Fernflower said impatiently. "You have far too many seasons to continue this cub-like behavior!"

"I am not being cub-like. I want to see him smile. He doesn't smile enough." Sunsong nimbly pulled her hand from her mother's grip and dropped from the branch. She paused to rub her cheek against Longdusk's arm and smile up at him. "You have a pretty smile," she told him, then skipped across the glen to be closer to Sureshot and Mist.

She folded her legs gracefully and settled on the ground, her hands buried in the spring grass as she instinctively explored the bounty of the growing world around her. Oh! There was a seed there, right in front of her! A lovely ripple-leaf! She allowed her magic to breath over it, coaxing it to life.

"Oh....!" Silvercub and her friends hurried to Sunsong's side as they felt the breath of magic in the air. They watched, fascinated, as a tiny, fragile green shoot slowly worked it's way up from the forest soil.

[Viola]

With a wry smile, Longdusk looked up at Fernflower. He realized the young plant shaper was out of control, and he pitied the female. He all too well remembered what it was like to have a daughter like that.
Clenching his teeth when the girl addressed him and touched him before moving away, while trying to push the memories of Fleetfoot back in the past where they belonged, he managed to hold his smirk towards the girl back.

"I don't smile enough, you smile too much. I guess that evens the score, don't you think?" he told the youngster, while Sunsong had found something else to do in the meantime. He wish the others would hurry already. He disliked gatherings like these. At least councils were informative, but he didn't care much for celebrations. Stories he liked, but he wasn't one to enjoy dances a lot.

[Anna]

Sunsong looked at him over her shoulder, part of her attention still on coaxing the flower to bloom. "There is no such thing as smiling too much, Longdusk. The score remains uneven until we hear your laughter at least once a night! Shall I make it my mission?"

"I'll laugh for you, cub," Mist said, deftly intervening. "You won't have to tickle my ears to do it, either."

Sunsong mocked a pout. "But you already laugh, Mist. Ah!" The ripple-leaf burst into full bloom and Sunsong straightened. "Look, cubs! See how lovely it is?"

[peachbug]

Evenstar laughed as she strode into the clearing.

*Oh Sunsong, is there any moment that can be free of your joy?* She settled on a tree root near Mist, smiling at the young plantshaper. "Soon the cubs will be grieving their lack of such a gift! What will we do then?" She teased.

"And Longdusk!" She turned her attention to the darker tribemate. "Must you tease her with your silence, or all of us for that matter? She is right you know..." Evenstar stretched her long legs against the cool earth. "A true smile from you could fade these stars!"

[peachbug]

Softling and her father entered the growing council cautiously, Flintfire choosing to stand some ways away to observe, while the golden haired cub knelt by Snapbone and a few other curious wolf-friends. They sniffed her palms, eager at the smell of meat and anxious at the tense gathering, but she calmed them with ear scratches and an image of a good hunt.

Softling watched the plantshaper with some jealousy and some dislike; wolves did not need or use such abilities. The thought of having that sort of magic made her heart tremble; she could not imagine that sort of sway over the trees and grass around her. Still, even she couldn't deny that Sunsong's trills were welcome often enough, a sign of good health and hunts.

[Viola]

Longdusk nodded an appreciation towards Mist, but shot a dark glance at the tanner as she interfered, as well. High Ones, what was wrong with everyone today? Why did everybody suddenly want to see him smile? It wasn't that he never smiled, and while his uneasiness grew, his mood darkened even more.

"There there, younglings," Lightgaze soothed, "Leave my son alone. We're not gathered here to make Longdusk laugh," she added while she patted his knee, as she had done when he was littler, "but we are here to listen what the chief has to tell us." She forced herself to keep a straight face, and sent with a wink to both maidens: **But I know what you mean. He's a handsome one, isn't he?**

Unaware of his mother's send, he sighed deeply, hoping that the youngsters would back off for the moment.

[Kris]

Stormfire and Waterdance walked up to Sureshot. He greeted Stormfire with a calm nod and an affectionate, wordless sending; she replied in kind, her stomach knotting as her father turned to Waterdance, pain clear on his face. She knew Waterdance had told him that Quickflight refused to come.

The entire tribe was gathered at the foot of the Father Tree. Stormfire smiled to see Whirlwind and Tallspear poking each other in the ribs as they took their seats; she gritted her teeth to see Longtooth and Skystrike sit on gnarled boles of the Father Tree, close to Mist. The healer, she noted, looked less than pleased to see them there. Just then her two oldest brothers, Keenedge and Preyfinder, arrived. Keenedge, as chief's-heir, made a beeline straight for Sureshot's right side; he smiled at Waterdance and Stormfire. **So what's up?**

**You'll find out in time, my son,** Waterdance informed him, reaching out to touch his cheek. It was always so with Waterdance; she made the subtle gestures, not the expansive ones, but you knew where you stood with her, mate, cub, or tribemate. Keenedge shrugged, winked at Stormfire, and sat down.

Sureshot locksent. Stormfire swallowed, knowing who it was for. At last Quickflight came out, her eyes swollen; she kept them downcast as she sat down by Waterdance. The black-haired huntress, openly dismayed, put her arms around Quickflight. Stormfire would later swear that the tension in her tribemates was like a strangleweed vine at its tightest.

[Anna]

**I'd welcome him denning with me anytime he wanted,** Sunsong lock-sent back to Lightgaze cheerfully, refraining from voicing the comment out loud since Longdusk was clearly becoming uncomfortable with the attention.

"They'll not be jealous, Evenstar," Sunsong continued at loud to the tanner. She brushed her hand over Silvercub's mop of hair. "They all have talents that I don't. I share my plantshaping with them, and they share their gifts with me. Is that not so?" she added, tickling Silvercub's cheek.

The child giggled and hugged Sunsong before darting back to Icemark's side. "So!" she agreed, grabbing a handful of the leafy greens from his basket and taking them to Sunsong. "You make flowers, I feed you leafs!"

"Delicious!" Sunsong accepted the offering and immediately put one in her mouth, cheering with every sign of pleasure.

[peachbug]

Evenstar was worried to see Quickflight emerge in such a state, but resisted the urge to send to her and risk upsetting her further. Sureshot's gaze was upon the tribe now and she felt a cold trickle down her spine, fear of what was to come.