Council in the holt-glen

[Kris]

"And how will we carry it all?" she asked curiously. "It's warm enough now we don't need more than a single sleeping fur each - less if we den together," she added, grinning her invitation at Longdusk. "Food here is scarce enough, else the tribe wouldn't be splitting. Dare we take any, when it should be easier for us to hunt fresh?"

Stormfire eyed her friend sidelong. "You frighten me when you're practical," she pointed out. Sunsong rewarded her with a teasing wink, and Stormfire sighed. "She's right. We can probably do with one fur apiece--not to mention that it is getting warmer." She leaned against the tree and thought for a moment. "How good do you think the hunting will be for us once we're away from the holt?" she asked Oakstaff.

[Anna]

Oakstaff traded considering looks with Windsoft, then shrugged. "We've been hunting a day or two's ride out from here for the last several seasons, Stormfire. Initially our hunting will be about the same as it is now."

"Further out from that, we can't predict," Windsoft continued thoughtfully. "As long as we're in the forest, we should get by. We won't be uncomfortably full, but we won't be starving, either. After that, it just depends on where you lead us. If we stay with the river, we'll always be able to fish. We're well into the season of new greens, so we have many eights of days before we have to worry about preparing for white-cold."

Again Oakstaff and Windsoft traded looks, then turned back to Stormfire. "We may have days where we go hungry, chieftess, but I don't think hunting will be a problem, especially if, as Windsoft said, we stay close to the river. That'll also give us a ready source of water," he finished.

"And I can bring seeds," Sunsong volunteered. "They're light and don't take up much room. If we run short on meat, I can grow us something to tide us over." She laughed at Oakstaff's shudder. "You don't have to like it, hunter, but plantfood is better than nothing when your belly is empty."

[Viola]

Longdusk snorted, and defended his vision, ignoring Sunsong's implication of them sharing a den. "I wouldn't count on the usage of denning. High Ones know where we end up. There might not even be a cave nearby and we'd have to sleep in the open. Without any protection. One sleeping fur for everyone isn't much to ask and not hard to take along. And I'm not saying we should stock up food like squirrels. Just to get going on the first day. If you stick too long to this area, because we'd need time for hunts, we'd burden the area even more because we stay longer around."

He folded his arms, feeling uncomfortable around the seemingly tight group of Stormfire, Oakstaff, Windsoft and Stormfire. The four of them made him feel like an outsider, and he guarded himself against those feelings, telling himself that he had no reason to apart from their friendship. Relieved that Redthorn joined the bunch, he reminded himself to ask his mother for new leathers, if she could finish them in time.

~*~*~*~

Watching both Redthorn and Sunsong depart, Lightgaze breathed deeply. She hoped she was right in what she'd been telling the two of them. Her stomach turned around if she only thought about the departure of Stormfire's group. She slowly retreated to her den to clean it up. She'd been busy painting a hide for Longdusk when they had been called to council, but she didn't really feel like working right now.

[Anna]

(Hey, now, if Longdusk is feeling excluded, it's not for lack of trying on Sunsong's part! )

Sunsong sighed quietly. She didn't know why Longdusk kept rejecting her friendship, but he did. Now he rejected her contributions, too? It saddened her.

Not that she'd stop trying, of course. Hunters always discounted the potential of plants for food, and eventually she'd get him to smile. But it did sting, sometimes, to be rejected so consistently. She snuggled closer to Oakstaff. He never seemed to mind her company, whether in play or in joining.

"He is right," Windsoft agreed. "We'll not want to linger too long in this area, nor hunt. But two or three days ride should be enough to clear us from Sureshot's hunting grounds. Perhaps there's enough of the winter stores left to see us that far?" This question was directed at Icemark, who had quietly approached them when he saw his lifemate return.

Icemark shrugged. "There's a little dried meat left, but not much. However, if we're leaving then I don't see why we can't take it with us. With less mouths to feed here, what hunting there is will be enough to keep Sureshot's tribe well-fed. We could take the dried fruits and vegetables, and the nuts, as well. Fernflower is staying and if they run low she can force-grow them fresh."