First Hunt
Raindrops the size of smallbirds thundered over Rock Den for days on the end, and Edgewater kept mumbling about the rising streambed. Duo's enthusiasm for regular training sessions with Swordeye, however, could not be dampened, which was why the poor blacksmith could be found, late one stormy evening, skidding along the muddied ground, avoiding Duo's swings.
"I said disarm only," Swordeye shouted in alarm as Duo's sword came dangerously close taking off his left ear.
Duo continued to swing wildly, gripping his sword in both hands and raising it high, but Swordeye took the advantage Duo's position, falling into a crouch with a swing of his leg. Duo stumbled, caught unaware, but wasted no time in charging Swordeye again, who had time to prepare for the attack. He hit Duo with a wide sweep of his sword; wind whipping his hair and knocking the sword Duo held from his grip. Swordeye stood, pointing his sword at Duo's chest, and Duo raised his hands in surrender.
"I yield! I yield!" exclaimed Duo, voice panicked.
"Are you all right?" asked Swordeye, offering a hand.
"Yes," murmured Duo, a bit hesitantly, as he leaned against Swordeye, favoring his right arm.
"Here," said Swordeye, handing him a cloth soaked in some liquid. "Tie this around shoulder before we try again."
"But I'm getting better, aren't I?" said Duo excitedly, turning his flushed face to beam at Swordeye. "I think I'm getting better! Did you see the swing I pulled on you? I'm almost better than Talon now! Do you think she would spar with me? Maybe you can ask her for me! I'm good enough now! Please? Huh? Please?"
"Training to impress your lovemate, Duo?" asked a teasing voice. Duo quickly raised his head and found himself being scrutinized by Tye. The mahgony-haired elf chuckled in amusement as Duo was forced to do a stupid kind of waltz as Swordeye let him go, nearly losing his balance as he tripped over several raised tree roots.
"He really is getting better," said Swordeye, purposely avoiding eye contact with the other elf as sheathed his sword. "Soon enough Duo will be able to master the sword he has now, which I hope won't be anytime in the near future. I just smelt the sword he's using altogether not long ago."
"How about you and me, Tye," mused Swordeye, eyes finally searching out the other elf. He was rewarded with a stoic look. "Want to have a go around?"
"Forget that," sneered Tye, waving a scarred hand toward the clearing where they stood. "Swords are clumsy. Give me a spear to a sword any day."
"Hey!" exclaimed Duo, turning wide eyes on Tye. "You use a spear too? My sister uses a spear! She uses it for fishing. Do you--"
"No," growled Tye, cutting Duo off in mid-sentence. "I hunt."
"Tye!"
Swordeye and Duo looked around, faces puzzled where the sound had come from. Only Tye's face dawned a mask of pure horror.
He whirled just in time to see Windflower, waving his arms madly, break into a sprint, and make a daring leap into Tye's arms.
"Tye!" exclaimed Windflower, locking his arms securely around Tye's neck. "Just look at my new cloak! Isn't it to die for?" asked Windflower, as though expecting an answer. He ran a slender finger over the silvery mass of material, which had successfully tangled around the two elves.
"Get off me!" growled Tye murderously, trying to dislodge Windflower, even grabbing handful of the elf's silver-colored hair and tugging fiercely, but to no avail. The other elf's arms stayed fixed around Tye's neck.
"I think we should leave these two alone," drawled Swordeye lazily, clearly enjoying the site of Tye struggling to free himself from the enraptured elf. "It's almost dawn anyway "
For once, Duo stood speechless, watching as Tye would manage to shove Windflower off long enough to escape, only once again to be encased in the other elf's grip. Finally, Windflower released him, but only after realizing that all their scuffling was beginning to ruin in new cloak.
"Dear, dear," murmured Windflower, hands skittering over his cloak, pulling away twigs and leaves at the aftermath of the embrace. "Off you go, you little leaf no room for you, even if it would be an honor for you. Oops, can't forget this little guy can't have any grass stains on my new cloak. Ugh, this is so exhausting--"
As Windflower stood flustered in the midst of the small gathering in elves, Tye took advantage of Windflower's distraction and stealthily ducked back into the forest. Swordeye laid an arm across Duo's shoulders, heading them back toward the Holt. Having forgotten his conversation with Tye entirely, Duo returned to asking Swordeye if he would ask Talon to start sparring with him, hoping his repeated questions would convince the blacksmith.
Clutching their equipment, including a bag of healing herbs put together by Mossy, Swordeye and Duo hurried back to the Holt, following the moonlit trail. They could hear the sounds of night creatures moving around them, hooting and chirping, snatches of croaking. The atmosphere of drowsy calm was highly infectious; Swordeye couldn't help failing to stifle a yawn. They walked through the wood for a while, Duo going on about the improvements he'd made and Swordeye smiling and nodding occasionally, until at last they emerged on the other side and found themselves in the shadow of a large cliff. Though only a fraction of the cliff could be seen at night, the hollowed outline of holes carved into the flat surface of the cliff gapped like yawning mouths into the darkness.
Talon!" cried Duo shrilly, sprinting away from Swordeye after spotting the Chieftess's profile in the fading moonlight, and throwing himself into a wild gallop toward her. "Talon! You should've seen me! I was great! You can spar with me now! Swordeye thinks I'm ready!
"I said no such thing, Talon!" yelled Swordeye after Duo.
"So," drawled a hoarse voice.
Swordeye jumped, taken aback by the sudden sound seeming to come from a hedge directly next to him. Two dark brown eyes flowed among the leaves. "How goes the lessons?" asked the voice, now with a catch of grogginess to it.
"He's improving," said Swordeye simply, unsure what else to say to the foliage, who was now regarding him openly.
"That is good," approved the hedge sleepily. Swordeye watched as the eyes closed and a sudden intake of breath could be heard. The hedge was yawning. "He's lucky. He is much better at blades than Pika was at his age," it mused, and Swordeye strained to hear the hedge continue.
"He just needs to keep practicing. There's no rush. Plenty of time," the hedge sounded as if it had begun to drift.
"Kura?" inquired Swordeye, though hesitatantly, not wanting to offend the hedge.
"Yes?" came a drowsy reply.
"Nothing, sorry," apologized Swordeye, backing away from the bush slowly, which seemed to have fallen asleep again, as a light snoring rustled its leaves.
"Is she awake?" whispered a voice behind him. Swordeye turned, stared, blinked. Then blinked again. Kura's identical twin brother, Pika, looked back at him anxiously. "She wanted me to wake her before the sun rose so she could move into the den. I tried once but �," he bit his lip, "-she went right back to sleep, and I was afraid she'd be mad if I tried again," he said, casting a nervous glance at the hedge over Swordeye's shoulder.
"I wouldn't take the chance if I were you," mused Swordeye. "You know how maidens can be when they first wake up."
"Excuse me?" someone replied coolly behind them.
Swordeye and Pika froze as Talon appeared, Edgewater and Moss at her side. Swordeye heard Pika stammer an "Oh no," while he smiled sheepishly back at them.
"Oops."
"Yes, oops," growled Talon.
"What was that again? Something about the waking habits of maidens?" questioned Moss.
"Er, I didn't say anything."
Talon and Moss raised their eyebrows.
"So when are we going on our first hunt as a pack?" asked Swordeye quickly, decidedly trying to change the course of conversation.
"Can I go?"
Everyone stared at Edgewater in surprise. She blinked back uncertainly.
"Well, can I?" she asked again, face reddening.
"If you want," said Talon hesitantly. "But you're going to have to ride double with either Swordeye or me."
"She can ride with me, I don't mind," offered Swordeye, blushing as Edgewater beamed at him.
"Alright," said Talon. "How's tomorrow night sound to everyone?" she grinned. "Come to think of it, I think I could use a little work out myself."
"Thank you, Talon!" exclaimed Edgewater, rushing to give her a hug.
"Hey!" interjected Swordeye, putting on a look of mock hurt. "Don't I get one? I offered my wolf you know."
"Thank you, Swordeye," she said, giving him a hug and grinning up at him happily. "My first hunt!"
"Yep," said Talon, smiling at her. "It'll be nice to have everyone come for a change. Well, except Windflower. Think he'd be up to watching the cubs?" she asked, then paused to examine the incredulous looks everyone sent her. "I guess not. Mossy? Would you?"
The Healer was shaking her curly head. "No offense, but I could use with a little 'off' time, you know? I'm even thinking about joining you guys."
"I guess Windflower's stuck with them, whether he likes it or not," said Talon grimacing. "And I'll bet anything it'll be the latter."
"So does anyone have any idea how to talk Windflower into cubsitting for us?"
"No," everyone replied together.
"Great," muttered Talon thinly. "Glad to see everyone's thinking."
"How about we tell him Tye's not going," suggested Swordeye.
"That's true. Chances are he won't come anyway," agreed Pika.
"Think he's smart enough to figure out that doesn't mean Tye will be staying here," asked Talon.
"No," said everyone at once.
"Right. Think he'll figure out that we're lying?"
"No," said Edgewater.
"Only if we told him fringe is in style this season," said Swordeye.
"Then we are going tomorrow night?" said Pika, looking at Talon.
"Yes. We'll meet here at sundown. I'll uh mention to Windflower that he'll have to watch the cubs."
"When?" said Pika promptly. Talon gave him a dry look.
"Right before we leave."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chieftess Talon knew Duo meant well when he appeared at her den door the next evening, waving a sword and proclaiming her greatness, but it didn�t stop her from being angry with him. Maybe if she hadn�t been sleeping at the time, his intrusion would not have been a big deal, but there was something about waking up with a sharp object beneath your nose which brings out the worst in you. Groggy headed and grumpy from being woken so abruptly, Duo stood staring as Talon reached for her sword. A moment later Duo decided he had more important business elsewhere, and dashed from her den before his cubhood was cut short.
Talon got through the rest of the evening by forcing herself into half-brained conversations with Windflower. She got all the way through the evening without a single mention of cubsitting; Windflower bored her with a long discussion on what colors worked best disguising blood-stains ("Oh green definitely!"); then he switched to how a slight trim would do the wolves a world of good, which incredibly Talon was able to steer to the topic of the hunt. This worked well, though when Talon began discussing the semantics of hunting on wolfback, which did interest her, Windflower gave her a glazed look, as though what she was saying was going in one pointed ear, and right out the other.
At last, Talon managed to dupe Windflower into cubsitting, informing him it was his choice, although she wouldn�t be responsible if he found himself sleeping outside the Holt�s boundaries for an indefinite amount of time. With this in mind, Windflower didn�t take long making his decision ("You needn't worry, my Chieftess! So I can stay here tonight?"). She told him Tye was skipping the hunt, and as guessed earlier, Windflower assumed this meant he would be staying at the Holt. Windflower�s ears perked at the mention of this and seemed to air a feeling of excitement about his �alone-time� with Tye.
"Windflower," said Talon, tone warning. "You are to watch the cubs. You will remember to do that, won't you?"
"Yes yes," muttered Windflower, sounding as though he would remember watching anything but cubs. "Now, how long will you be gone?"
Talon looked at him warily. "About three days."
"Wonderful! Have fun!" he called back as he headed toward his den.
"How many gords of dreamberry juice do you want to bet he's going to emerge dressed as fancy as a troll's bride," remarked Moss, cantering up to Talon on Moonflower's back. She was already prepared for the hunt, equiped with a simple hunting knife.
Talon turned toward her soulsister. "I hope I'm making the right decision," she sighed.
"If we come back later and nothing�s left but a pile of rocks and a bunch of naked cubs running around, we�ll owe you a gourd of Dreamberry wine. Fair enough?" said Darksky jovially, swinging aboard her mount.
"Basically nothing out of the usual, but I�ll remember that," muttered Talon, as she grabbed a handful of thick fur around the collar of Snowcloud�s neck and began steering her along a trail pre-planned the night before.
Everyone agreed it would be safer to hunt further north of the Holt. Traveling south would have meant risking the chance of running into one of tribes of humans scattered across the flat plains. Eastward meant dealing with heavy brush and the slight possibility of fiercer beasts than they intended to hunt, and to the west lay nothing more than impenetrable mountains which would take days to cross. North was the most logical route, although they had to be careful not to go too far up, or risk running into trolls, as Pika quickly pointed out in slightly panicked voice.
The wind flicked dead leaves across the winding path as they traversed deeper into the darkened confines of the forest. Many of the party turned curious ears toward the playful chirps of night creatures; Darksky was singing softly to herself, while Edgewater remarked quietly to Swordeye how alive the forest could be at night. Despite living with the Wolfriders for several turns now, the young elf had never fully adjusted to their nocturnal lifestyle, and much like Kura, who�s sleeping habits puzzled everyone, was quite often caught dozing in the middle of the night. Before they left, she promised Talon she wouldn�t fall asleep, although the Chieftess ascribed Duo to monitor his sister�s alertness. There were two reasons for Talon in doing this. One, Duo�s constant jabber made it impossible to fall asleep, and two, it kept him out of Talon�s hair, at least for a couple hours.
Talon wanted some time to reflect on her new situation. They were in a new Holt, or was it an old Holt? Talon shook her head. This typically was the problem she�d been having. Returning to Rocks Den was like reflecting on some surreal dream: everything made sense, until you woke up, and then you wonder what it all meant. What looked familiar when asleep suddenly seemed strange and a little frightening while awake. Everything she remembered about the Holt is as it was in her memory, except for the most important element.
The old faces she remembered so well were gone now.
Brook, Sureshot, her own father Fang and everyone else, all disappeared, either dead or deserted to some faraway place. But what disturbed Talon the most was that their scent was still there. She could still smell Fang, and Sureshot, and though very weak, she could even smell Brook�s. But he was dead, drowned all those years ago. They were all dead. Or gone forever. Oh, Moss was still around. At least she hadn�t left her. Only her and Talon were left of the original Holt. The thought was more than a little disheartening.
Swordeye quickly cantered up beside her.
"Chieftess," he ventured, keeping his voice low enough for only them to hear. Edgewater was too busy clinging to Shadow�s bushy rump to keep from falling off, while Duo was jabbering instructions on the correct way to ride wolfback. "If you really feel uneasy about this, we could put this off until later."
Talon readjusted her sword hilt to keep from hitting Snowcloud�s ribs as they trotted along. "No, I�m not that worried about it, honestly. I need to get out of there for a while anyway. It�s not easy you know, coming back here. I mean, it�s great to be somewhere that feels like home again, but the faces aren�t matching the smells that are still hanging around there."
Her face fell and a note of bitterness crept into her voice. "You know I smelled Sureshot�s scent last night? It was so strong, for a minute there I thought she had come back."
Swordeye gave her a sympathetic look. "Talon"
"But I knew better," she said quickly, straightening her tunic before it tangled around her legs as Snowcloud picked up a pace. "It will take some getting used to, that�s all. But this trip is good for me, might help to clear my head."
"You know what will really be fun?" murmured Swordeye, forcing Shadow to match the older wolf�s pace.
Talon looked at him sharply. "What?"
Swordeye reached out, and with a well-timed maneuver, managed to successfully hook an arm around Talon�s shoulder. Edgewater, who was now caught in a heated argument with Duo (Talon thought she heard the word �stick� mentioned), was far too preoccupied to notice what was happening in front of her. Swordeye leaned down as he brought Talon�s ear closer, careful not to bump heads as they jousted up and down by their wolves� movements. "The three of us, seeing what it�s like to roll in the moss somewhere different," he whispered, almost nipping at the lobe that was a breath�s away now.
"A-hem!" a voice cleared behind them.
Both elves pulled away in haste. Swordeye dropped his mount back several paces, his face alight in a bright blush even his shaggy bangs could not conceal. Talon turned just as Moss cantered up next to her. A grin plastered her moon-shaped face.
"I know this is a hunting trip," she remarked, voice mocking. "But I was under the impression we were hunting food."
"Think we�ll catch anything before daybreak?" said Edgewater, wobbling precariously as Swordeye moved Shadow alongside Snowcloud once again.
"There�s a good chance," replied Talon, peering up at the star-pierced sky above them. "It�s a great night for hunting. The skies are clear. The air is cool so scents will be sharper than usual. The moons are turned just enough to give us light, but not give us away. And we�ve got some of the best hunters with us," she added as an afterthought. "So yes, I think we�ve got a pretty good chance."
"You know, Talon, I think so too! I think we�ll catch something big! With teeth! And claws! And horns! You�ll have to hide Edgewater, �cause you can�t hunt. Why did you bring your stick? What do you think you�re going to do? Poke it in the eye? But it�s okay, �cause I�ll protect you. Just don�t try to get away on a wolf. Why can�t you ride? I can ride. I can ride since I was born. It�s not hard. See? Watch me, I�ll show you!" Duo proved his wolfback skills by plowing headfirst into a thicket of bushes.
"Duo!" cried Darksky in alarm. "Are you okay?"
"He�s fine," replied Swordeye, grabbing him by the cuff of his tunic and gently hoisting him aboard Deathsycthe�s back. "Happens all the time."
"Oh, if only I were as talented as you," breathed Edgewater in a voice of mock wistfullyness. Apparently, she hadn�t forgiven him for insulting her stick.
Duo opened his mouth to protest, but closed it quickly as his eyes widened terror.
It was as if everything was suddenly switched into slow motion. The guttural roar of a mountain cat drowned Duo�s cry as it rolled directly into their path. Soulshadow, Snowcloud and Deathsycthe broke from the rest of the group, ducking into the safety of bushes closest to them. Hidden for the moment, Talon forced Snowcloud into a crouch; seconds later Kura and her wolf landed beside her. The Wolfrider fell into position beside the Wolfrider Chieftess, squinting through the thick leaves concealing them.
Talon felt the comforting pressure of her sword pressing against her thigh as she assessed the situation. The beast lay where they once stood moments ago, roaring in fury, but did not attempt to chase after them. She couldn�t see where everyone else had gone to, but at least they escaped.
The cat still lay on the ground, jaws opening and closing with a menacing snarl. Talon tensed. Any minute now, the cat was going to leap up and find them. She watched as it thrashed violently in anger. Her hand automatically reached for the hilt of sword.
Then stopped. Talon frowned to herself. Why hadn�t the cat come for them yet? By now, it should have followed pursuit, but so far, it hadn�t even attempted to get off the ground. She could sense Shatter�s confusion next to her. "What is it doing?" hissed Kura. But Talon could only shake her head.
Their answer came quicker than they would have liked. No sooner had Kura voiced their puzzlement then an even more deafening noise resounded through the forest. Talon held her breath as a huge shadowed mass lumbered its way through the trees and toward the cat. The hapless animal thrashed in earnest now, fear and instinct taking control, and Talon at last discovered why it hadn�t run away earlier. The cat�s left hind leg stuck out at a very odd angle. A deep cut trailed along the cat�s ribcage, bleeding profusely as the animal struggled. It was wounded, and it was about to be killed.
The cat cowered as its attacker�s shadow loomed over it. For a second, Talon could make out the profile of a large furry back as it flashed in the moonlight, but then the beast lunged back into the shadows. There was another deafening roar, a long hiss, then a muffled cry a pain before everything fell silent. Talon and Kura watched horrified as the creature reared back and roar in triumph.
Now fully exposed to the moonlight, the elves could see it was a large bear. Altogether, this would not have been surprising, even if it did just kill a mountain cat, a predator much smaller though just as deadly as itself. However, this bear was nothing short of gigantic. Six elves, standing foot on shoulder, would still lack a height advance over the beast before them.
She frowned as a sudden thought occurred to her. Since when did a bear deliberately hunt down and kill another animal? Fang had taught her they subsisted on fish and vegetation, and experiences with them only sustained her belief. Despite this, here was a creature which normally preyed on small game, which had just killed a vicious predator. The bear was even nuzzling the dead cat gingerly, as though fearful it might leap up again. Whatever rush of power the bear had felt moments ago while attacking, now was slowly subsiding into cautious assertion.
A small noise, which sounded like a soft hoot, came from behind them. Talon turned and struggled to keep from falling out of the bush as two small forms lumbered awkwardly past them. She froze as one stopped and sniffed her curiously, its small, cold nose brushing against her leg, before satisfied and moved past after its partner. Bear cubs, and no mistaking who their mother was. The massive bear turned as them waddled toward her, making excited little sounds from the back of their throat. She nuzzled them affectionately before turning back to the mountain lion and sniffing it again, only this time Talon felt the impression of distaste coming from the bear. Then, to everyone�s surprise, she turned away and began guiding her cubs back into the forest, leaving the dead cat behind her, completely untouched.
She flashed her soulsister a bright grin.
"Well! That was easy!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"I feel like a cub again!"
Edgewater directed a toothy grin toward Talon as she bounced merrily where she sat on Shadow's back.
Talon shifted uncomfortably on Snowcloud's back, easing the ache which had steadily grew since leaving the cat kill a day earlier. Of all the places to suffer a sore, it would be in her rump. A particularly strong jolt caused her to wince. "I don't."
"Duo!" exclaimed Moss. "It's not as if you�ll never get to see another cat! Who knows, next time, maybe you�ll get a chance to save Talon from one," she said teasingly, giving the cub a knowing wink. Duo seemed to mull the prospect over and noticeably perked up.
"High Ones sister, don�t encourage him!" Talon groaned.
"She�s flattered, I�m sure," Moss whispered to Duo.
"Why are you so sore, Talon?" asked Pika, and several of the elves laughed softly. Although Pika was asking out of genuine concern, Talon however felt less than amused. She noted how Swordeye refrained from joining in with them and Edgewater had grown suddenly quiet.
"Because I fell on it," she replied.
"Why?"
"Because, some stupid twit of a lovemate of mine," she caste a deliberate eye toward Edgewater, "thought it would be cute to put a prickle weed on Snowcloud's back, something I was unaware of! Otherwise, I wouldn't have been so eager to jump on top of her without thinking!"
"Ah, but it wasn't the prickle weed that hurt you, was it," replied Moss, coaxing a confession out of the Chieftess with no little concealed amusement on her round face.
"Well I wouldn�t have fell on my rump at all if it hadn�t been there to begin with!" fumed Talon. "You wouldn't be so eager to stay seated on Moonflower if you suddenly felt a sharp prick on your backside!"
"That's true. Talon could�ve mistaken it for a stinging bug," admitted Darksky with a shrug.
"Aye! At least someone here understands!"
"Although," Swordeye continued the train of thought, cocking his head in mock consideration. "You did look rather cute lying there on your backside, face red as the sun, eyes blazing, hands ready to strangle Edgy; in fact, now that I think of it, you looked downright adorable!"
"Gee thanks. I need to be butt down in mud to look even vaguely appealing," said Talon glumly.
Edgewater paled noticeably. She reached across to lay a hand on Talon's shoulder. "Love," she faltered over her words. "I'm sorry. I-I really didn't mean to hurt you. I found the prickle weed and Mossy dared me to put it on Snowcloud's back--"
"Don't get me involved in this!" exclaimed Moss. "I didn't mean for you to really do it!"
"So this is all your fault," said Talon wryly, casting an eye toward her soulsister.
"Hold on now! Okay, so I did dare Edgy to do it, but I healed you didn�t I? Maybe you're a little sore still, but that will pass! There's no harm done."
"Yes yes," said Talon wearily, although a smile quirked at the corner her mouth. "Though perhaps you should be careful when you fall asleep today."
"Why is that?" asked Moss, all trace of amusement chased from her face, replaced with a growing alarm evident in her widening eyes.
"You'll see," said Talon breezily as she steered Snowcloud into a thicket of green which closed in around them.
The first tell-tale hints of dawn had long since pinked on the horizon before Talon called a halt for the night. Never had the rising sun looked so welcoming to the elves� eyes, each pair gazing tiredly toward the glowing half-risen disk.
After the rocky initial start of the night, the rest of the time was spent searching for new game. Sometime before dawn Darksky attempted a new animal call she had heard Tye use once, and was taken aback when a large deer leaped out from behind a dark tree. In fact, it was difficult to tell who was more surprised, the deer for discovering the call was not from another of its kind, or Darksky finding the trick worked at all. An arrow in the leg from Swordeye�s bow brought the animal to the ground, where Talon quickly relieved the beast from its mortal coil. The meat was dually portioned, eaten and whatever remained cleaned and packed securely in pouches. Talon ordered Moss and Kura to gather some scented herbs to rub into the pouches, to further conceal the scent of blood.
"You're not going to use any of these plants against me while I'm sleeping, are you?" asked Moss, reluctantly handing over a bundle of strong smelling and rather unpleasant looking plants to Talon's outstretched hand.
"I'd have to be pretty mad at you to do anything like that," said Talon with a straight face.
"Then you're not mad at me?" asked Moss suspiciously.
"Mad at you?" replied Talon, eyes widening in mock scandal at the idea. "For daring my lovemate against me? For sabotaging my wolf? For causing me an unbelievable amount of pain and suffering?" Talon's face broke into a tight smile. "How can you even think I would be mad at you?"
"I'm going to be sleeping with Kura and Pika today," said Moss quickly, as she scampered for a place as far from Talon as possible. Talon watched with amusement as her soulsister settled herself securely between her lovemates, her eyes fixed on Talon. She watched Pika whisper something to her, but the healer only replied with a shake of her curly head. Kura refrained from asking questions. She was already asleep.
"She's in for a long day," remarked Darksky as she settled herself down next to a fallen log.
"I'm assuming that you had no part in the dare," asked Talon, sending the dark-haired elf a wryly glance.
"Me? Don't be silly," yawned Darksky, unperturbed by the Chieftess's gaze. "I wasn't even paying attention."
"Sure," said Talon, raising a skeptical brow, but decided to let the huntress go free, at least for now.
"My Chieftess!" called Swordeye a short distance from her. Talon turned to see her lovemates had made themselves cozy under the shelter of a low-branched tree, the moor beneath it carpeted in a soft thicket of moss and ivy. "There's a nice warm spot waiting for you right here!"
"How can I resist?" remarked Talon, strolling over to where her lovemates lay. Coming closer, she quickly noticed both elves where already in a state of undress, and once again she raised a skeptical brow. They both grinned sheepishly up at her.
"To make up for before," said Edgewater, cheeks lightly flushed.
"I'm going to take you up on that apology," growled Talon as she climbed in between them, edging toward Swordeye who opened his arms wide to embrace her. He turned toward her, burying his face in soft downy of Talon's light brown hair.
"Look, I'm sorry about what I said before," he murmured quietly.
"What for?" asked Talon, frowning at the sudden change in atmosphere.
"I mean, when I said you looked cute on your backside, red faced and all," explained Swordeye, keeping his face hidden in her hair. "I-I didn't really mean it that way."
"So you're saying I don't look cute no matter what position I'm in?"
"I didn't say that!" exclaimed Swordeye, quickly pulling away to look at her, eyes wide with guilt. "I just meant, well, I was just trying to ease some of the tension. I didn�t mean what I said to be taken personally. You always look cute, at least to me! When you agreed to be my lovemate, it was like something out of a dream! I could never imagine someone as strong and beautiful as you ever considering sharing furs with a guy who couldn't even escape from slavery until he learned to wield a sword."
"Nor I," said Edgewater quickly. Talon felt the younger elf press against her back, enveloping her body in a full embrace.
"It�s okay," replied Talon simply. She felt her lovemates tense at the vague answer, mistakening her tone as cynical. "No, really, it's okay," she reiterated quickly, softening her voice in reassurance. "I know you didn�t mean any harm. It's just young cubs playing tricks. Or in this case, Mossy playing tricks, which is just as dangerous."
"Speaking of which, where�s Duo," asked Talon, suddenly aware of the cub's absence.
"Oh, he decided he wanted to try sleeping with the wolves," Edgewater chuckled softly. "He�s so used to sleeping with Deathsythe after all that time, he said there's no other place more comfortable, except maybe next to Talon," she said with a wink.
"He said that?" asked Talon in alarm.
"Actually, yes, he did," said Swordeye with a grin. "It's going to be fire and brimstone for you when he makes the fatal transition from cubhood to young wolf."
"I don't want to think about that," groaned Talon, snuggling deeper into her lovemates' embrace. "I don�t want to think of anything right now."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The sound of distant thunder woke the elves sometime before dusk. A chilled wind sighed through the branches around them, the air thick with the scent of the rain that would soon follow. Mother Moon hung low on the horizon, heading toward a bank of clouds hovering in the sky above her.
Talon woke first, stretching languidly, hand strolling down to stroke Edgewater's bare shoulder in the softening light. The younger elf stirred awake, gazing sleepily at the graying forest around them. Swordeye shifted as a breeze ruffled his already disheveled hair. Raising his head, he blinked groggily and grinned at his lovemates.
"Um, good evening?" he said in a hoarse voice.
"Good evening," chuckled Talon, affectionately tickling the soft skin beneath his ear.
After Talon pulled herself from the snare of arms and legs tangled around her, she called everyone together.
"Home. We've seen enough of the area. I remember some of the forest from when I was a cub, but it had been a long time."
"Feel safer knowing where we're going when we go out hunting on our own, eh Talon?" Darksky said with a sly grin.
"I don't feel safe with the idea of any of you going out on your own," replied Talon flatly. "Not after what caused Sureshot, Moss and I to leave here in the first place."
"Do you still think there are humans around?" asked Pika nervously.
"I'm not sure," conceded Talon. "But we're going to assume there are. So from here on, keep your guard and stick to our territory. Don't be quick to follow game outside the area, and stay within Sending distance to the Holt. I don't relish the idea of being caught with my pants down a second time."
Moss sided her an amused look. "Funny, one would never know that after today."
Talon blushed.
"That's besides the point," she said, quickly brushing the comment aside. "Anyway, we've seen the area. Time to go back."
Edgewater groaned. "This is the most riding I ever want to do again," she said, rubbing her backside. "When we get back, I'm going straight to my furs and not leaving them for several moons."
"At least you'll have plenty of company," chided Moss, throwing Swordeye and Talon both a knowing glance. The tall male buried his face in the palms of his hands.
"I should've taken revenge on you when I had the chance," grumbled Talon as she mounted Snowcloud.
As they hurried back toward the Holt, Talon reflected on everything that happened, and found though faces and scents had changed somewhat, the feel of the land remained the same. Her new tribe was decidedly different from anything she experienced before. Swordeye, who was enslaved by trolls for years before escaping; Edgewater and Duo, who escaped from tribe too far away for Talon to have known to exist. Darksky, who also fled from a distant tribe to escape humans. Kura and Pika, who traversed into Rocks Den from the plains by pure accident and decided to stay, even taking on wolves to participate in the hunt, though not bonding with them. Then there was Tye and Windflower, the newest members of their little Holt, who left their own because of some inner discord within the tribe. Or rather, Tye left because of problems; Windflower simply followed him.
They faced their first danger together, an injured cat and its attacker, a mother bear. They chased down a deer, explored the territory...
Yes. A bond was forming among them, something Talon feared wouldn't happen with this strange, new tribe. But there it was, a closeness, that only a hunt could bring together as. Now they were more than a tribe.
They were a pack.
"Think there'll be anything left of the Holt when we get back," asked Darksky curiously.
"Oh I'm sure the cubs will still be there, although I'm not so certain of Windflower and Tye, or the dens for that matter," replied Talon dryly.
Kura grimaced. "I hope not. I was getting rather attached to our den."
"Don't worry. If the den is gone, we can make due on a patch of moss," giggled Moss, taking Kura's hand in her own. The young elf blushed hotly and looked away, feigning interest at the darkening woods around them.
Duo turned to Talon. "I don't need a den ... I can survive in the woods ... I did for a long time, you know. It wasn't so bad ... in fact; I liked it more than being in a den. I could live forever in the forest and be fine. I have great survival skills. Everyone says so. Mother used to say I'm the best male cub she ever had. But I was the only male cub she ever had, so I guess that doesn't count. Edgy wouldn't be good at surviving on her own. Maybe if there was a river nearby, she might be okay, unless she falls in. She does that a lot, don't you Edgy? Don't you fall in the river a lot? I never fall in the river. I'm probably a better fisher than Edgy, but I don't like to do it. I like hunting, because I'm so good at it. Only Talon is better than me. Maybe Swordeye. I think I'm going to be chief one day. I would be a great chief. I'm great at looking out for everyone. I always stick around, not matter what. Even if everyone tells me to go away, I know deep down they want me to stay. So I stick around, just 'cause I know they want me to. I think that would make me a good chief, don't you think so Talon? Don't you think that would make me a good chief?"
"Don't you ever shut up Duo?" growled Edgewater between clenched teeth.
"See, Talon? I told you I'm a great conversationalist..."
Talon lowered her head to message away the headache threatening to afflict her.
"A good chief knows when to rest," replied Swordeye, settling a hand on Duo's shoulder. "Save your strength for when we return to the Holt."
Duo nodded and turned his concentration back to the path in front of them. Talon turned and gave Swordeye a grateful smile.
Although unseen, Talon gauged Mother Moon directly above them by the time they were in the boundaries of Rocks Den. They stopped twice along the way: once to take down another deer to bring back, and to dig up the remaining carcass of the cat they buried earlier.
Lifting her head back, Talon howled softly, announcing their arrival. At first, there was no answering call, which she expected since Tye, Windflower and the cubs were the only ones still there. She was surprised a few moments later when a lone howl echoed up from the Holt's direction, and immediately she knew it could only be Tye's.
"Seems our stoic packmate is finally warming up to us," mused Edgewater as she bumped along behind Swordeye.
"I wouldn't say he was warming to us, but at least he's stopped distancing himself from the rest of us," replied Talon as she reined Snowcloud into the cliff's clearing.
She was relieved to see the dens and the surrounding forest was still in one piece. A second later Turtle came wandering out, bubbling excitedly at the site of her mother.
"There's my little cubling!" exclaimed Mossy, scooping up the tiny mass and ruffling the curly head affectionately. Turtle grabbed hold a strand of her mother's hair and began to tug it in turn.
Darksky looked around curiously. "But where's mine?" she asked concerned.
"Or Windflower for that matter," grumbled Talon, dismounting Snowcloud.
"Here!" called Edgewater, beckoning Talon to Darksky's den. "Foxglove and Nightwhisper are asleep."
"And Windflower?" asked Talon.
"He's here," said Swordeye, indicating toward Mossy's den. Talon moved to peer into the den's dark interior. A soft snore greeted her.
"Asleep," murmured Swordeye.
"Glad to know he kept a close eye on the cubs," said Talon sarcastically, though she left him where he was for the moment. "Oh well, at least everyone's safe."
Swordeye grinned. "We can go hunting every night now."
"I wonder where Tye's gone to," mused Talon, looking around. "I heard his call before, but he didn't appear when we arrived."
"No way to tell," conceded Swordeye, shaking his head.
Talon sighed. "And I was hoping he was warming up to us too," she shrugged. "Guess that was too much to hope for."
"Maybe he needs more time," ventured Swordeye.
"Maybe. I guess we'll have to see what happens," she grinned at him. "Think we should turn in early tonight?"
Swordeye blushed. "I wouldn't complain."
Talon's grin widened. "Guess we better go find Edgy ..."
The End