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krwordgazer wrote: Facing your fear Ties A sacred/spooky place A cat of some kind Arrows Preventing something bad from happening “{What have you done?}” Treerunner sent, his sending striking Shadow with unchecked force. Shadow turned and faced Treerunner, barely affected by the intensity of Treerunner’s panicked sending. “{I’ve done what it takes to make this tribe survive the storm that is coming,}” Shadow sent back, an opening sending for all to hear. Behind Shadow stood a tall, five fingered human by the name of Wurik, Chief of the Humans of the neighboring tribe. “{You would bring a human to the Stone Howl,}” Treerunner continued sending, untrusting of the human who might be able to understand portions of their language. Stone Howl was said to have been shaped by Vineweaver’s ancestors; when Stone Shapers were still within the tribe. It had been generations ago; and stone shapers ceased being born; and for a long time, it seemed there would be no more born with magic; until Vineweaver was born; the first in the Holt to be able to shape plants, rather than stone. “Lovemate,” Foxhair said, whispering the words. “You know that I’d do anything to support you,” her beautiful green eyes moved to the human who stood uncomfortably behind Shadow, “But this – this is too much. You can’t trust the humans. How do you know this isn’t some kind of trap?” “I don’t,” Shadow said, turning to her; causing a slight gasp from the others gathered around. “But look at him,” Shadow gestured behind him. Wurik was a tall, powerful, and strong human. Muscles lined his arms and legs; despite his older age. However, it was clear that Wurik was uncomfortable; and didn’t appear to be confident that some trap he had laid out was falling into place. “If we hope to survive,” Shadow continued, “we must all not only face – but conquer our fear of humans. Not all of them are evil and spiteful,” Shadow said. “Just as not everyone of us,” he looked at Blackstar, “can be considered good and ‘wonderful.’” He paced back and forth, “Just as there are bad humans, there are bad elves; just as there are good elves, there are good humans.” “There is no such thing as a good human!” Sungazer snapped. He had lost his beloved SoulMate, Rosethorn, to the actions of humans. Though he understood what Shadow was doing by bringing the human to the Holt – he couldn’t contain his emotions. Rosethorn had been hunting a fang-tooth tiger that had been decimating the deer population within the holt’s hunting grounds. She shouldn’t have been hunting the creature alone – none in Stone Howl ever hunt alone. It had always been the rule. But Rosethorn was determined to find this fang-tooth and slay it herself after it had mortally wounded her wolf-bond, forcing her to take her bond’s life, out of mercy. She had managed to track the fang-tooth, and with two careful shots of her bow, the arrows found their mark; she had mortally wounded the feline. She had wanted to make the kill personal; so she had slung her bow over her shoulder, drew her blade and approached the fang-tooth. So determined to slay the fang-tooth, she had not caught the scent of nearby humans who had been out hunting; desperate for food. Seeing Rosethorn, they took the chance to sneak up on her and throw their spear. It had landed with deadly accuracy. She stumbled forward, into the fang-tooth, who was dying; but saw its would be killer, severely wounded. With one last lunge of life within it, the fang-tooth had buried its deep tusks right through Rosethorn’s shoulder and neck. The humans had left her there, dying – and proceed to beat the dying fang-tooth with their wooden clubs; taking it back to their tribe for food. Sungazer had been the one to find his dead mate. Initially he had believed the fang-tooth had been responsible when her first saw her body; but as he cradled her, he felt the wound in her back – the wound that had been made by a human’s spear; that’s when he also noticed the footprints, and the trail of the body of the fang-tooth that had been dragged away. It was Wildthorn, who had been chief then; that had stopped Sungazer from returning to the human village to seek vengeance; because Sungazer still had a young cub, Suncaller, to tend to. Shadow knew the pain that Sungazer was enduring. After all, Shadow had lost his own sister to the humans; as well as his best friend, and then Chief, Wildthorn – to humans. “Wurik suspects that his tribe’s shaman, The Bone Dancer,” Shadow went on to explain, “has plans to over throw him.” “Let him!” Treerunner snapped. “That is the business of humans! Let them fight amongst each other! It is the human way!” “It is the human way,” Shadow nodded. “But just as we have adapted to our environment, our surroundings; it would seem that one of us has adapted to humans.” “You speak of yourself?” Blackstar said, a sneer on his lips. “After all, you spend your nights close to the human village, listening, watching, and even adapting their ritual of burial.” “Indeed I have,” Shadow confessed, openly. “But it would seem that one of us has adopted the way of humans; so that we would fight among ourselves.” “Elf against elf?” Vineweaver asked, stepping up. “That’s unheard of.” “It is,” Shadow continued, “until now. You see, one of us has betrayed the tribe.” “Again, I propose it is you,” Blackstar pressed. “You bring a human into our Holt?” Shadow smiled. Blackstar squirmed. His confidence was rattled. Shaking. “You have severed your ties with us, Blackstar,” Shadow said. “Let the truth of sending show us…” The image from Shadow’s mind entered all of those within the tribe – a memory replaying itself for all to see. “I went to visit Suncaller’s grave,” Echo acknowledged. “I wanted to visit him, and tell him how I would miss him. But when I kneeled down and touched the soil – everything went… different. Changed. I wasn’t there at the grave anymore. I suddenly saw – what looked to be through Suncaller’s eyes – he was pushed from the treetops – he was pushed by Blackstar. When he hit the ground – everything snapped back to normal. It was as if his bones were trying to tell me what happened to him...” “You had a dream-vision, while awake?” Shadow blinked. “I have never heard of that…” “It’s not the first time,” Echo admitted. “I have just never told anyone – because I couldn’t explain it. I know some of our tribe has had Dream-Visions, but that’s when they’re asleep. Mine always happen when I am awake – and usually when something traumatic has happened. Like I pick up the magic – or the energy that’s been left behind – and I see through it – because of it.” (The events of this vision take place in [url=http://www.elfquest.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=378931#378931][b]A Belated Gift[/b][/url] (March/April 2008). “That proves nothing!” Blackstar scoffed. “Is that all you have to show us? So the boy thinks Suncaller was pushed… It certainly doesn’t tell us who… or if it’s true.” Shadow smiled. “That is not all,” Shadow said. He closed his eyes and shared the next set of recent memories, from only two days ago… He stepped through the clearing and met with the Bone Dancer. “We have council in two nights,” Blackstar said. “I will be able to turn the tribe against Shadow, easily. And we will be gone from these woods, human – and be done with you and your kind.” Blackstar, in truth, had no intention of leaving. He had wanted the Bone Dancer, the main “shaman” for the humans – to return to his tribe with a success story of driving the elves away – and then in a few moons passing – he would lead the elves in a slaughter against the unsuspecting humans. “I’m impressed by your ability to murder,” the Bone Dancer said, still under the mind altering affects of the pickled drug. “I didn’t think I could,” Blackstar admitted. “But once it was done – it was easy. I could do it again.” Unseen, a dagger was drawn in the shadows – and eyes gleamed with hatred over the confession. Blackstar turned, thinking he had seen something – a reflection – glimmer in the moonlight – but once again – there was nothing. “I will return to you with news of my success, human,” Blackstar said, and walked away into the woods. (The events of this vision take place in [url=http://www.elfquest.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=378931#378931][b]A Belated Gift[/b][/url] (March/April 2008). Shadow opened his eyes. Everyone had turned to face Blackstar. Suncaller had always been someone the tribe loved. He was young, impressionable, but the most sincere among the tribe. He often wore his heart on his sleeve, saying what was on his mind. He often wished for better things in life; not for himself, but always for others. He had hoped and dreamed that one day, Shadow’s vision of peace with the humans, would exist. There was no one among that tribe that didn’t care for Suncaller, especially after the loss of his mother, Rosethorn. The tribe had adopted him, though Sungazer had continued to be an excellent father, as their own son. Sungazer was now facing Blackstar. He drew his dagger, “By the High Ones, I will rip out your heart!” Shadow grabbed Sungazer and stopped him as Blackstar suddenly leaped away, fleeing for his life. “What are you doing?” Sungazer snapped at his chief. “You’re letting him get away.” “No,” Shadow said. “I know where he’s going. We have to be ready. The humans who follow Bone Dancer will be coming soon.” In a darkened cave, littered with bones and skulls, from everything from raccoons to elf and man, littering the floor, adorning certain stones; the Bone Dancer continued to dance and sway his arms, chanting in a language that none around him could understand. None of the humans felt at ease within this cave where the darkest of sacrifices often took place – none save the Bone Dancer. “My power is great!” The Bone Dancer said, “I shall turn one of the elves against their own kind! He shall come to me! He shall deliver me their secrets! He shall come and be my slave! My instrument! My tool to the destruction of the demons!” Just then, Blackstar appeared at the cave’s entrance. “The time is now,” he said, panting.