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krwordgazer wrote: - Honor - Lack of Time - A bond - Dwelling with the past - A cold - Longing ______________________________________________________________________ "The Choices." "I do not like them," Daymist said as she paced back and forth under the large willow tree, away from the Stonehowl Tribe. "They're savages." "You underestimate them," Riverfall protested, "as I had originally done. They," he gestured to the small tribe that gathered on the other side of the willow tree, "are far more than mere savages. They are more than just a `tribe' - they are a family." "They're a pack," Daymist countered. "Like the wolves they ride on. Their very blood is tainted with wolf blood!" "The bond they share with their wolves," Riverfall retorted, "limits their time on this world. But do you not see? They have lived more than you and I ever have - even though we are thousands of seasons older then they are!" "How would you know?" Daymist sneered. "You spend all of your time with those two cubs!" Riverfall stood and got in Daymist's face. "And in just one of those cubs I have found more wisdom than you possess, Daymist!" "That will be enough," Joybringer stepped between them and pushed them apart. Joybringer looked between them, then looked at Daymist. "We can not hope to leave them behind," Joybringer said. "If we do, we will lose two of our own," she looked over to the twins - Warsong and Wardance, who nodded in agreement. "We are small enough as it is. There is, as much as I may dislike it, safety in greater numbers. They can teach us to survive." "And they're doing this for us," Riverfall added. "They could have left us behind at any time. Anytime! But they fought those trolls for us. They lost one of their own tribe - for us. With their Chief's idea, to locate other Elves, and grow our numbers and reclaim the Palace and free those who have been enslaved who might still be alive, like - Firemane, Twostone or Fairskin!" Moonsong looked over to the other side of the willow just as Riverfall had gotten into Daymist's face about something. "They're fighting," Moonsong whispered, her own pale white hair, reminding her much of Daymist's hair. "The fair one doesn't much care for us," Treerunner shrugged, carving images in the soft dirt with a broken branch. "I don't need to hear what she's saying to guess what that fight's about." Treerunner threw the branch into the distance. "She thinks we're savages. More wolf than elf. Thinks we know nothing about honor or self respect." "Why does she hate us so much?" Moonsong asked, shaking her head. Moonsong, like Daymist, had been crowned with snow white hair; however, Moonsong's voice was so soft, it seemed to carry itself gently on the wind; like the song of a bird, for which she had been named. "Because we're not pure like they are," Treerunner explained. "That makes us less than them." Foxhair, whose red curls were normally bouncy and vibrant, but now laid flat, sat there listening to the exchange between Moonsong and Treerunner, her own mind too preoccupied with her own problems that she saw no easy way to solve. Her mind was drifting to a time before they had decided to leave Stonehowl. She had been the first to stand behind Shadow and the idea of going out and finding new elves, just as the humans had sought to find other humans in the land. In Foxhair's eyes, this seemed like the perfect chance to get much closer to Shadow; traveling together and relying on each other. But now, she wished she could have taken it all back. She wished now, more than ever, that she had voiced an objection to the idea. If for no other reason than to selfishly have Shadow's heart and mind to call her own; rather than now share his mind with the one called Joybringer. Though Shadow's heart was still with Foxhair, his mind uncontrollably continued to drift towards Joybringer. Recognition. It screamed her name in his skull, echoing violently, demanding that Recognition be followed. A deep sense of longing that could not - would not! - be denied. The sound of a sneeze brought Foxhair from her thoughts. She turned around to see Stream fussing over Skyshade. Needing the distraction, Foxhair stood and made her way to the two. "What's wrong?" "She's been sneezing and sniffling since we left the mountains," Stream explained, her own amber hair much the same like Foxhair's. Her green life filled eyes were full of concern. "It's the cubs inside of me," Skyshade shrugged off the assistance. Her sunny blond hair touched past the middle of her back as she shook her head. "My body's just weaker from having these cubs inside of me." "Cubs?" Stream looked at Skyshade. "Then it's what I detected earlier..." "What did they call them?" Skyshade looked over to the other tribe, and saw that Joybringer had just broken up some kind of fight between Riverfall and Daymist. "Twins," Foxhair explained. "Like Warsong and Wardance. Our tribe has never given birth to twins before." "With the exception of Stillbreeze and Vineweaver, our tribe has been lucky to even bare a single cub!" Stream sighed. "And that's why I am so concerned about you," she turned her attention back to Skyshade. "There's no time to be worrying about me," Skyshade countered. "Until those half-witted pure bloods," Stream began - then immediately realized her mistake and flushed deeply. "Aside from Warsong and Wardance, and Riverfall too, I suppose - the other two - well they just - they don't know what they want! I mean one doesn't want our Chief, but is Recognized to him and." Skyshade winced, her eyes drifting to Foxhair. Again, Stream, in all her haste and concern for Skyshade, was not thinking clearly. "I am sorry, Foxhair, it's just that." "There's no apologies needed, Stream," Foxhair smiled weakly. "It is what it is."