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krwordgazer wrote: Jumping up and down Jealousy Maternal instinct A scar, whether it's symbolic, physical or psychic. It can be an old wound, mental scar or a wounded soul. The Scroll of Colors Moons/Moonlight/Moon symbols ______________________________________________________________________ "Sanctuary" He had lost count how many times the sun had chased the moons across the velvet black skies. Shadow stood at the edge of the cliff, the snow behind him. Ahead of him, down the mountain he could see the plains - tall grasslands that were warm and inviting. Somewhere over there, according to the thing that Riverfall called the Preserver, was another tribe of elves. They had traveled through the snow day and night, moving until they were too exhausted to move. The trolls of the frozen mountain, those that had fled, had surly returned to the troll called Scalphunter; who sent reinforcements to kill the resistance. They couldn't give those trolls the chance of catching up to them. "We make our way down the mountain tonight," Shadow finally said after a moment, turning to face all of those who looked to him for unwavering leadership. "We should be safe from the trolls then." They moved down the cliff slide slowly, separated from the wolves who had gone to find their own way down the mountain side. Once at the bottom, Shadow led them to a tree he had spotted from the snowy cliff, that had long flowing branches that bent under their own weight, creating a canopy effect over the lush green tree. Skyshade approached Shadow, her hands on her stomach. Deep within her she could feel life stirring within her body. The joining with both Wardance and Warsong had yielded a child growing within her, as Recognition had normally done. It was that life inside of her that made her approach Shadow. "You fight the Recognition with Joybringer, my chief?" Shadow turned his head, gazed at Skyshade and looked back towards the cliffs they had left behind. "And Sungazer," Skyshade went on to add. "We have had no time for howl for him, because we had to leave his body behind." "We will howl for him when we're further away," Shadow said, his voice flat and emotionless. "I want to do nothing that might signal the trolls to where we are in case they continue to pursue us." Vineweaver and Stillbreeze watched their two oldest, Echo and Windfetcher, standing close to Riverfall - listening to him as he spoke of the Palace. ". and the Scroll of Colors could show you what the High Ones had imprinted within the scroll," Riverfall went on to say, smiling at the young audience that he had captivated with his stories of the Palace. "Do they ever record their fights?" Windfetcher asked. "Fights?" Riverfall raised a curious eyebrow. "What do you mean? Amongst one another?" "No, against trolls and humans!" Windfetcher exclaimed, excitedly, jumping up and down, dodging left and right, stabbing her imaginary sword at the imaginary foes that were swarming around her in the heat of battle. Riverfall laughed. "No, little one. They did not fight. The High Ones were more observers than anything else. And back then, the trolls were no taller than the two of you." "They were small?" Echo asked. "Indeed," Riverfall answered with a nod of his head. "Then how come they're so big now?" Windfetcher asked, pausing her imaginary battle. "The same reason the wolf can smell so well," Riverfall explained, gesturing to Creekhunter who had been laying close by. "The same reason the eagle can see its prey from so far above." Windfetcher wrinkled her nose, looking at Riverfall with a blank face. "Survival," Echo finally realized. "The wolf needs his sense of smell to hunt the meat; the eagle needs his eye sight to see the rabbits, so far below. The trolls grew because they were soft before - and would have died in the harsher world that they live in now, unlike the easier life they had in the Palace." "Very good, young one," Riverfall said with a smile, "you are quite wise, especially for your age." "He's good with them," Vineweaver smiled at Stillbreeze who was breast feeding Sunsword. "He really is," she agreed with a warm, beautiful smile. "I admit," Vineweaver continued as he watched a bored Windfetcher wander off. "I was worried at first - about these Firstborn. They reminded me too much of humans. Tall. Slender. No wolves." "They're like humans in many respects," Stillbreeze agreed, running her hand through the velvet soft baby hair on Sunsword's head. "They're clumsy like the humans. But that's because they don't have wolf-blood like we do." Sunsword had fallen asleep on Stillbreeze's breast, his head resting against the scar she had gotten from the troll who had shoved the poison spear into her shoulder. She smiled at her young cub and held him close. "I have a good feeling about Riverfall, though. About most of them. My only doubt is with her," Stillbreeze's eyes went to Joybringer who stood off to the side on her own. "Ah," Vineweaver nodded. "Their leader. Whose gone and got herself Recognized with our leader. Stubborn, the both of them." Stillbreeze looked over to Shadow who stood on the opposite side of the tree, facing the opposite way from Joybringer. Though unintentional, no doubt, Stillbreeze thought to herself, they were probably doing everything they could to avoid one another's gaze. Stillbreeze's gaze moved to the left where she could see Skyshade laying down, with Warsong and Wardance on each side of her, their hands on her stomach. An unlikely situation, Stillbreeze thought to herself, has made three people very happy. Her eyes moved to Foxhair who was now approaching her lovemate, Shadow. However, these were three people - Foxhair, Shadow and Joybringer - that could never find the same understanding and caring as Warsong, Wardance, and Skyshade. Foxhair and Shadow had been lovemates for a long time; and Foxhair hoped to one day experience Recognition with her lovemate. But with the arrival of Joybringer, and the Recognition between her and Shadow; that would not happen. Not so long as Joybringer was alive. Recognition only seemed to happen if the person had no living Recognized Mate. Surly, Stillbreeze brushed over the thought, Foxhair would not go as far as Blackstar and kill another of her own kind? That was humanlike behavior. But that look that burned in Foxhair's eyes ran much deeper than just simple jealousy. She felt threatened by Joybringer, despite the fact that there was no interest apparently in Shadow and Joybringer, in joining. Shadow felt Foxhair's touch. He did not recoil. He welcomed it. He knew how she felt. She never had the need to edit what she thought. She shared everything with him. That's why he was surprised when he heard her whisper, "Just do it. Join with her. Give her what Recognition demands. Then come back to me." Shadow turned his head slightly. "I do not want to join with her, Foxhair." "You must," she sighed. "Recognition demands it. I'm foolish to think you can fight Recognition. Shadow, we follow you without faltering faith. Just as the Firstborn follow Joybringer. If the two of you are both caught fighting the urge of Recognition - it may cause you to think unclearly. Now more than ever, my lovemate, I - we all - need you both to be thinking clearly. You pushed us hard to get through the snow and out of the mountains, because you said you wanted to take advantage of the head start we got from the trolls. I think otherwise." "Do you now? What is it you think?" Shadow asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I think you were trying to out run the fact the area of where you first felt the Recognition with her," Foxhair explained. "But you will never be able to out run it. It's always going to be here," she placed her hand on his heart, "and here," then moved her hand to his head. "Recognition demands that you join so that she might bare a child. I will love that cub as if it were my own, if we are never to have one for our self."