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krwordgazer wrote: Permission - as in permission to talk, open a door, etc. Eyes Meet Eyes - I would think this could mean Recognition, but it could also mean a stare of challenge or something like that. A Tragedy - could be dramatic or less dramatic, like Pike can't eat dreamberries or someone is badly hurt, etc. A Coin A Bug - I would think this would mean either an insect or a Preserver, but if you want to do a Futurequest-type story, it could also mean a microphone, right? A Flame “Recognition” _______________________ Shadow was kneeling next to Stream, offering a warm smile to counter the chilling wind that blew outside the cave. Stillbreeze had used the snowbear’s fur to make a blanket to cover Stream, and keep her warm. “You frightened us there for a moment,” Shadow ran his fingers through Stream’s auburn colored hair. “The snow was as red as your locks. If it weren’t for Callbreaker and Daymist,” Shadow shuttered at the thought. “Daymist?” Stream was clearly confused. “Do not worry,” Shadow smiled down at her, taking her hand into his. “In due time. Focus on getting better.” Shadow stood up and looked over at Joybringer. “We can’t stay here.” “We can’t leave either,” Shadow replied. “Daymist, from your own tribe, even says that Stream needs to rest. If the rest of your tribe feels the need to move before Scalphunter uses his tools to find us – feel free to. We – I – am staying with Stream until she can move safely.” Moonsong, soul mate of Treerunner, who had also been injured by the snowbear, and healed by Daymist stood next to Shadow. “I am with my chief. We will not leave Stream behind. Besides, if this Scalphunter and his trolls come looking for you – they’re not expecting us. And the wolves.” Riverfall looked to Joybringer, who was clearly the leader among them. “They have a point. We are better off in larger numbers. And if the trolls comes for us – they,” he gestured to the others behind him, “clearly know how to fight. Something we are not skilled in.” Riverfall paused for a long moment, his thin, soft, silk like hair falling around his face. “Besides, I believe they would want us to remain with them.” From beneath the locks of his earthen colored hair, he looked at the twins; Warsong and Wardance, who were both looking over at Skyshade. Joybringer knew Riverfall was right; as he usually was, which is why she had always trusted his council. “We stay then,” Joybringer finally spoke after giving it further thought. “Until I feel it’s unsafe.” They sat together around the small flame that they had made towards the back of the cave. The cave was huge inside, with a small cracks in the ceiling where the smoke seeped out, and dissipated in the ever present chilling winds. Foxhair sat across from Joybringer, her eyes fixed the cold, ice blue eyes. “You said you were the Firstborn of the High Ones, but legends say that the High Ones had ‘names of the stars’ which had meaning in their long, lost forgotten language. But you all have names like ours – like many generations removed from the Firstborn.” “We adopted these names,” Daymist explained, her snow white eyes that appeared sightless, looked at Foxhair when Joybringer seemed unwilling to answer the question. “When we were captured by the trolls and we discovered their intent was to uncover the secrets of the Palace… if they knew we were Firstborn of the High Ones, we could not imagine the torture we would have all endured… worse, than what we already have. So in order to hide our true selves from the trolls, we adopted these names. We have used them now for,” she looked at Riverfall, then back to Foxhair, “well, longer than any of us could possibly remember. They have become our names. It’s been so long since we have spoken our true names, truth be told, I have long since forgotten my own.” Riverfall added to the explanation, “We were very young when the Palace crashed here. Perhaps no older than the one you call Sunsword. I barely have vague memories of the ones who took care of us, such as Sirentel and Urenti.” (1) “When the Palace crashed on this world of two moons,” Riverfall went on to explain. “It was Sirentel and Urenti who grabbed us and fled with the majority of us out of the back Palace window. Mindtouched remembered fleeing with Tawaim, another of the High Ones, who escaped by escorting some trolls – when they were smaller, more harmless. Tawaim found Sirentel and Urenti again, and left Mindtouched with them while Tawaim returned back to the trolls. It had always been Tawaim’s job in the Palace to watch after those miserable trolls. I believe he never forgave himself for not foreseeing the troll’s rebellion against the High Ones, which resulted in the tragedy led to the slaughtering of the High Ones.” (2) Skyshade watched as Warsong and Wardance approached. Her life had taken a turn the moment her Eyes Met Eyes; and Souls Met Souls. Recognition, among her tribe had always been beneficial. It had, more often than not, been between two lovers already. This - she watched as they made their way to her – this was with two complete strangers. Strangers, whom she had never met until only a few hours ago; strangers, who she knew better than herself now, because of Recognition. It wasn’t enough that she would Recognize one person outside of her tribe; but two, and both of them Firstborn of the High Ones. She had always known there was a taint to her blood; that the bond they shared so deeply with the wolves, was there for a reason. Among her tribe, she had never considered it anything unusual. Now, it was like staring at muddy water and a crystal clear lake, side by side. She was dirty. Impure. All that made her who she was, bestial and tainted. The once fun loving Skyshade was now baring her teeth with a low growl in her throat as the twins approached. “None of us asked this to happen,” Warsong said, his straight black hair looking like spilled ink as he spoke to Skyshade. “Recognition has not happened among us Firstborn… but we know the calling of it. We know what it is.” “While you come across as a beast in our eyes, for we see your bloodline to the start,” Wardance continued, his midnight mane of hair, tied in a ponytail; often the only way to tell the twins apart. “Recognition can not be denied. You will starve yourself if you fight it. The need must be fed.” Their eyes, brown as the softest soil looked at her, seeking permission to follow through with the act of Recognition that had struck them. In those eyes, she was lost. For all of her growling, sneering and searing gazes; they were right. She had not eaten any of the snowbear, because she claimed she was not hungry; but what her body craved was not food. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes.” She threw her arms around both of them, and the twins eagerly embraced her. Together, the three of them began to walk out of the cave. “Where do you think you’re going?” Joybringer asked the twins. Shadow put his hand on Joybringer’s shoulder. “Let them be.” Joybring pushed Shadow’s hand from her shoulders and met his gaze. “You can tell your wolfpack how to do things, but you will not tell me how to do things!” Shadow smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of telling you what to do. But they,” he looked over his shoulder as they walked out of the cave, flipping a small stone in his hand like a coin, “have to do what must be done now.” “Which is?” Joybringer asked, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Shadow. “Recognition demands that they join,” Shadow explained matter-of-factly. “Impossible! We’re Firstborn of the High Ones! There is no Recognition for us,” Joybringer countered. “And if there was, we could fight such a primitive urge.” “Tell that to them,” Shadow gestured behind him, just as the three vanished outside the corner of the cave. Outside the cave… Skyshade stopped and turned to face the twins. Their fair skin and soft brown eyes were a contrast to their stark black hair. She was not attracted to either of them; not that either of them were displeasing to the eye. They simply lacked something that she thought she would find in a love mate or a soul mate. There was an understanding between the three of them that this was only to fed the urge of Recognition; then it would be over. The twins lunged forward, their arms wrapping around her, their lips on her neck. There was no holding back. Skyshade released the beast that was within her. Despite the fact that she found neither of the brothers desirable, the power of Recognition had been too much to deny. The twins knew her bloodline; they knew what she was. Perhaps it had been too long since she had tumbled in the furs; but she did not feel the cold of the snow against her bare skin as her leathers came off. Her body was on fire at the touch of the twins. For the twins, who had been Firstborn of the High Ones, they had never known something or someone like Skyshade and her tribe. They had been, even as captives of the frozen trolls, prim and proper. Now, they saw, felt and more importantly enjoyed the wild aspect that they were finding in themselves as they felt their souls merge with Skyshade’s. Time and time again, they shared their bodies that night, not once ever feeling the cold touch of the winter snow. It was nearly night when Skyshade looked up at the stars she saw something fluttering in the sky. “A bug,” she muttered. Warsong and Wardance, who were on either side of her, glanced upwards. “That’s a rather large bug,” they said in unison. The bug continued to spiral downward until it crashed into the soft snow not far away. Skyshade stood and put her leathers back on, smiling at the twins she sprinted away to see what it was. She was surprised when she saw what appeared to be a light blue humanoid looking butterfly. She was more surprised when it looked up at her and said, with an unusually high pitch voice, “Oh! I find Highthing!” Warsong and Wardance came to stand behind Skyshade, their eyes wide. “By the Sacred Hall,” Warsong muttered. “A preserver,” Wardance finished. “A what?” Skyshade asked, confused. TO BE CONTINUED… 1. If you don’t recall Sirentel and Urenti – you may want to look at the Jan 2009 Grab Bag! Sirentel and Urenti are the two who took on the forms of a bear and a snake, eventually becoming Bloodfang and Serpent Rainbow – and combined, they became The Coil. 2. For more on Tawaim, you may want to check out the September 2008 and October 2008 Grab Bag, where we discover that Trollforge, the master smith troll that lived below Stonehowl, was none other than a High One named Tawaim, who had gotten stuck in the troll form.