Faeriegirl's stuff

So, ehm... yeah, I'd like to repost my old writings here.
Maybe Embala will post her awesome collages that go with some of them too.

Index:
Test Run (grab-bag 2009 april)
Destiny decided(grab-bag 2009 june)
A Mother's love (grab-bag 2009 july)
Dreamberry elf (grab-bag 2009 october)
Firefighters (grab-bag 2009 november)
The Egg Incident (grab-bag 2009 december)
Her hero (grab-bag 2010 january)
Wolfwood / Venom (grab-bag 2010 february)
Family ties (grab-bag 2010 march)
Peacemaker (grab-bag 2010 april)
Culture clash / Shadow Pact / Pact's End (grab-bag 2010 may)
Untitled (grab-bag 2010 august)
Unnamed snippet (grab-bag 2010 september)
The Longest Night (grab-bag 2010 october)
Secret Santa gift for Embala, cannot remember which year
Wavedancer swimming story
Birth of a tree(shaper) (grab-bag 2015 may)
Prey(grab-bag 2015 august)

Gosh this stuff is old. This story was written for April 2009 grab-bag:

Elements:
a joke/prank/trick
a decision
a change in someone’s life
explosion
a treewee
loafing around


Test Run
All he had ever done wrong was stray too far from the nest. Why did She have to find him and take him in?

He had just been bored, been loafing around at the edge of the forest. And all of a sudden She was there, luring him in with Her pretty face and sweet words. She would make him very pretty... How could he resist?

It turned out to be the worst decision of his life. As soon as they entered Her pretty chambers, She made him sit down on a stone perch. And then She touched him...

The pain! Unbearable! He did not have a voice like Her, but he wished he had one to scream... Explosions were behind his eyes, and he closed them in a desperate try to shut out the world.

Many hours later, he slowly regained conciousness. After he opened his dark eyes, he looked around. She was not around, and he was glad for that...

But this room was different from the one he entered! He felt his hopes die when he discovered exactly what She had done to him. He wasn't pretty, he was hideous! Ashamed of himself, he crawled away in the corner. Flying he could not, not anymore. For She had taken away one of his wings, turned it into an arm.  

She had tricked him, but it was he who had been stupid enough to fall for it... And now he'd have to spend the rest of his life here, away from everything he knew and loved. 
He was stupid.
 
For the first time ever, a treewee could be seen crying.

Grab-bag 2009-06 June-Destiny decided

June 2009 
Hands touching 
Death of a pet/bond beast/animal 
A surprise 
A test of some kind 
The sun, or a sun symbol or image 
Water coming down, as in crying or raining 
**

Destiny decided
"Ha ha! As if a stroll across the Bridge of Destiny were something to be feared! See, Leetah? It is nothing! He is a coward to the very heart!
Confidently, Rayek walks across the Bridge of Destiny. 'Walk across, touch the sun symbol, and return. Phah, some kind of test that was!'
He'd show that filthy Wolfrider who was best once and for all!

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept him off his feet. Flailing, Rayek felt himself falling down... down... No! There it was! His fingers had found the one place they could hang on to, and Rayek clung to it like his life depended on it. Which, ofcourse, it did. 

Hanging between heaven and earth, Rayek felt for the first time in his life that he, too, could die. He saw his life pass before him. 

His youth, misunderstood until he finally found his place as a hunter. That first, near fatal hunt for big game, which cost him his right arm. Leetah, beautiful Leetah, healing him. He had killed lots of those filthy jackals after that. Courting Leetah, trying to convince her to become his lifemate... And now this Wolfrider tried to take her away from him?!?? Never!! She was his!

Moaning, Rayek felt his fingers lose that oh so precious grip on the rock... He was slipping away, and nobody could save him. 

Then, a voice. "Grab my hand!" almost blindly, Rayek listened. The hand offered was sweaty, and hard to hold on to. But after some agonizing moments, he was safely sitting on the Bridge again. It was there he conciously saw who saved him. Cutter. 

**You!!**

He saw Cutter schrink from his sending, and it felt oddly good. Slowly, he backed away, back to the safe rock at the start of the bridge. 

Rayek looked at Leetah, and felt his heart leap. Beautiful Leetah... But all she looked at was the Wolfrider. Irresistable, his eyes were drawn to him too. 

Cutter got up! As insecure as his first try was, now he went straight for the sun symbol at the other end. Rayek felt his hopes die... Moments later, Cutter had returned.  Which meant he was defeated! No longer the first, the best! He was beaten! 

Wishing the earth would open under him, Rayek ran away. He couldn't take this! It wasn't fair! He should have been best! Without a second thought, he ran to his hut and grabbed only the most necessary things. Ignoring the questions of his fellow villagers, he saddled a zwoot and rode out to the desert.   

Grab-bag 2009-07 July

Elements:
jumping up and down
jealousy
maternal instinct
a scar
the Scroll of Colors
moon/moonlight/moon symbol


          A mother's love
Moonshade took great pride in her work as the tribe's tanner. She enjoyed teaching Shuna all she knew, and Shuna was an eager student. 
Yes, the whole tribe had adopted the brave human girl after the war for the Palace shards. Moonshade had had trouble believing a human could truly be good, no matter the memories of Tyleet's Little Patch. That was a human cub raised by them from birth, that was different. This girl had had a human youth, and somehow still worshipped them instead of hating them... Even with her birth-tribe hating the elves. 

Kimo came around to show Shuna a special frog, and Moonshade smiled. After all these years, Shuna could still be so childlike in her knowledge of the forest... It wasn't in her blood, after all. But like every lifebearer in the tribe, Moonshade had started thinking of the slender girl as an adopted daughter, and wished for her all the best. They had taught her all they knew, like they taught their own cubs.

Smiling, Moonshade thought about her own baby daughter. Not even a full turn of the seasons old, already she drove her parents crazy with her active nature. Moonshade giggled. It would be something once the little critter started to move around more... already, she could tell little Chitter would jump up and down and over everything she could find... All the while talking and talking and talking about everything around her. 

Smiling at the memory of her first words, Moonshade walked towards the river. She'd probably find her daughter there, making her papa "Not think-talk! Talk like Shuna!" Yes, Chitter was the opposite of her father in so many ways... But also the only one who could actually make him talk instead of send. As much as Moonshade loved her lifemate, sometimes she had wished he'd talk some more... And wished she knew Chitters secret to make him. 

Quietly, she hid behind a tree and watched Strongbow, Dart and Chitter play around in the river. Unknown to the cubs, this was the same river their big sister had swam in, all those years ago. Living in the Now as they did, Moonshade did not think about it much anymore, but the scars of that afternoon had never fully healed... She would always watch her cubs more then before, be more careful with them. Her maternal instincts had had quite the shock, that fateful day.  

Moving quickly, Moonshade undressed and joined her family in the water. Somehow, it felt like Crescent was still with them... Enjoying the family time like them. It had been quite the miracle, after all those years hearing her voice again. The Palace, with the Scroll of Colors, had helped them make contact with their long-lost daughter. Moonshade still believed Crescent had somehow given that Recognition a push, helped in creating Chitter... the dear cub.
Smiling, she hugged them all hard. "What was that for?" 
"Nothing in particular. I'm just so happy today."

Yes, everything was good.         

Grab-bag 2009-10 October

Elements:
great fire
being restrained
first encounter with alcolhol/dreamberries
a trick or a treat
a mistake or misapprehension
being bored

Dreamberry elf
Bearclaw was bored. And he, like his sire, always turned to mischief when bored... The humans had gone away after a great forest fire, so he couldn't play tricks on them.
   
Bearclaw didn't really remember that much anymore about the fire, he had only been a cub of a few white-colds back then. But his father had gotten the news of the fire quickly, and gotten the whole tribe to the lake before it got out of hand. Luckily, the wind stood right and the fire never reached Father Tree. But the careless humans left anyway, for the little prey that was left was claimed by the Wolfriders. Mantricker had enjoyed those times, having to cheat the humans out of their catches every time was his favourite time of day.
     
Wandering around the Holt, Bearclaw kicked around some stones, not really caring which tree they hit or rebounded to. 
 It didn't help either that he couldn't go anywhere far alone... He still was treated like a cub, regardless of his two eights of white-colds.

But even lost in thought, Bearclaw couldn't be surprised. He'd heard one of his tribemates come after him, and quickly climbed into the nearest tree, an old big oak. It had many branches, so the climbing was easy. Bearclaw laughed when he saw the wolfrider on his trail. The figure in the red hood could only be one person! Quite possibly Longreach hadn't even followed him, but was just on his way to the dreamberry patch, to collect berries for the next howl. 

"Oomph!" 
"Got you!" Bearclaws smile almost split his face in half. "Where are you going? Can I join?"
Longreach smiled. It was obvious the cub needed some distraction... "Sure cub, follow me to the dreamberries!" 
This should be fun, Bearclaw thought. He'd never tasted dreamberries before, his father said they were only for Longreach the storyteller. The berries help him tell his stories, but they've got no other use...

Well, we'll see about that! Bearclaw would finally taste those legendary berries, and find out other uses! He'd be remembered in howls for eights of eights upon eights! Bearclaw the dreamberry elf!

Unnoticed by the young elf, he and Longreach had arrived at the berry patch. Longreach grabbed a few berries and tested them for ripeness by just eating them. "Yup, these are just fine! Here, try these." He handed Bearclaw a few of the purple berries. 
"Be careful though, everyone reacts differently to them." 
Bearclaw immediately popped the berries into his mouth. 
"Tastes weird! But how do you mean, everyone? Only storytellers ever eat these, right? And you're the only storyteller!"
Moments later Bearclaw wished he'd never asked, for Longreachs laughter filled the air. 

"The only storyteller, you say? And how about the elf who taught me? And the elf before him? And before him? All the way back to the time of Timmorn Yellow-Eyes we go, we storytellers!
And the reason why I'm the only one enjoying these berries these days... Ask your father. He... does not enjoy them."

Bearclaw laughed. "So because he doesn't like them, they're reduced to pure story-helpers... That's my sire alright!"

By now, Bearclaw did start to feel the effect of the dreamberries. It felt... strange, new, but not bad. In fact, he quite enjoyed it... 
"This feels good! Is it always like this? I feel great! Lightheaded, lighthearted... How come my sire does not like this? It's great!"
"He does not become as light-feeling as you, dear cub. The only thing dreamberries bring him is a headache... Which you may also get, especially when you've had much berries and their effect wears off. So be careful. 

In fact, you could be storyteller material... Most elves I know of do not feel as we do when we eat the berries. They make our heads light, which enables us to remember the old stories easier. That's what dreamberries do. Wonderful things, aren't they?"

Bearclaw punched him on the arm. "Me, storyteller? Those berries must be messing with your head! No way... Look for someone else!"

Longreach got up. "It's getting late, cub. Come, help me gather a few handfuls of dreamberries for the howl tonight. We should be heading back to Father Tree soon."

Reluctantly, Bearclaw got on his feet. "Whoa! The world is spinning around!" Quickly, he sought support from Longreach, a there was no tree nearby. 
"Th- that part of the dreamberries too?"
He felt as well ad heard Longreach laugh. "Sure is! Now come on, you haven't had that much that you can't shake it off."
And indeed, the strange dizziness didn't last long. Bearclaw learned how to distinguish ripe dreamberries from jus-not ripe ones, and they collected more then enough for that night. 
"Who knows, maybe we could even convince my sire to let the tribe enjoy dreamberries again! He doesn't have to eat or like them! Surely he knows what a mistake it was to ban them... They belong to the whole tribe, whoever wants them!"
Smiling broadly, Bearclaw walked alongside Longreach back to Father Tree. He would be the dreamberry elf indeed!

Grab-bag 2009-11 November

Elements:
a reunion
a journey
spirit of a dead animal/person/thing
a smile
a dream
smoke

Firefighters
“High Ones! No!” Hugging the tree in a lover’s embrace, Redlance let his powers flow. The tree already started smoking from the fire set to it, but the elves fiercely fought to prevent losing their new holt. Never again would they be driven away, not even by fire!
One moment, a dream-like vision, he re-lived the agony of the Father Tree Holt fire. How he had wished his tree-shaping powers had emerged before then, how he maybe -just maybe- could have saved them...
“You couldn’t have, dear shaper. It was time to go. And I’m not really dead, you know.” Redlance blinked. He had always heard only whispers and sighs from the trees, but this was more. And it sounded oddly much like... “Yes, it’s me. I’ve come here to help you fight this -our- enemy.”
Redlance doubled his efforts to save the Forbidden Grove Holt. “No! I won’t let it happen again! We’re staying here!”
Quickly, but oh it felt so slowly, and surely, Redlance felt the trees relax from the panic the fire caused them, and help him sending moisture up to where it was needed so desperately. It was no dream! The spirit of Father Tree had really come to help them!
As quick as the trees relaxed, the fire was put out. And it would stay that way, for the combined efforts of elves, wolves and preservers prevented the lighting of another torch.
When Dart and his band arrived, the battle was completely over. Redlance wiped his brow and smiled. “Thank you.”


Collage by Embala

Grab-bag 2009-12 December

Elements:
a surprise
a headache
lots of food
contact between 2 people
compassion
an amulet or talisman

The Egg Incident

Slowly, silently, the ponderous stone egg rotated in mid-air. The outer shell contains another egg - and within that, yet others - all floating and spinning in unison.
Egg sat still in his chair, almost a throne, weaving in the egg the symbols of the feast the Gliders were having at the same moment with the Wolfriders.
In his mind, he saw all the food and drinks, saw Leetah push the glass of wine, and Pike trying to help but only setting Cutter on fire. It didn’t matter to him, all he did was set everything to stone.
When the trouble-makers left the room, he kept his attention near his Lord. The feast continued with a few members less.
Now, his attention was drawn by something to his lips. He drank the fluid. And suddenly the world changed!
The egg got out of his control, changing shape and rotating wildly. His head hurt, he couldn’t get it under control anymore! Why did Winnowill do this?
It seemed like minutes, maybe even hours later that he felt her hands on him and her healing power flow through him, making the pain go away.
She sent.
“There. I have cleansed you - and now you can restore the Great Egg. I swear no one shall tamper with you again!” Then, she was gone, and he was once again alone.
Was it just imagination, or did he really feel something more than anger behind her sending? Something not felt in countless eights of time... compassion? Would she finally be turned around on her dark path now? Egg hoped so, for he had seen in the Great Egg foretellings of great disaster if she did not. But he could not tell anyone, only hope...


Collage by Embala

Grab-bag 2010-01 January

Elements:
real life scenario/event (falling from stairs~dream~landmark)
breaking free from parents
a gift
an accident
secretly love
a new creature (never seen before)


Her hero

“So, daughter... you persist in telling your lies.”
“But they’re not lies, father! A forest spirit did rescue me!”
“You are crazy.” He hit her, and she fell to the ground. Quietly, tears fell from her brown eyes.
“How can you forget what these creatureshave done to us? Or have they possessed your mind? There will be no more talk of ‘kindly’ demons.”
Elona gave in, what else could she do? She wiped her tears away. “Yes, father.”

Later that night, Elona couldn’t sleep. In the end, she grabbed her coat, a gift from her late grandmother, and went out into the forest - searching for her hero. Elona knew that she had to be careful, if she was caught outside by the wrong person, she’d get severe punishment. But how could she stay inside, knowing that the spirits were not evil? She had to try and make peace! Even if that meant defying her father... Softly, she touched the bruise on her cheek. It had already turned blue. Surely it was an accident, her father couldn’t have meant to hit her that hard, could he?

All of a sudden, she was surrounded by evil looking creatures! They were armed with short yet very sharp knives, and riding ferocious animals with blazing eyes and huge teeth! She had never seen such beasts before, and feared for her life. Suddenly, her saviour jumped in. He gestured a bit, and stared at her attackers. Then, they were gone. It felt like hours, even though only moments had passed.
“Are... are they gone?” Elona heard her voice tremble, and hung on to his blue shirt. He grabbed her and dragged her back towards the village. “We must get you back to where you belong!”
Safely gotten back to the village, Demontricker told her it was better to leave the forest spirits be, for their and her own well-being. It wasn’t fair! She sighed. But maybe he was right. Father was so passionate about the spirits being evil, how could she, a little girl, change their minds?

At night, she dreamt of her hero. How she was with him, together making peace with each other’s tribe, and then exploring the world together, making peace everywhere. There was a strange but wonderful place where they could live in peace, the village had a huge stone lady looking out over the sea. Elona thought she had to be their Gotara, protecting them from the dangerous waters. The lady was pretty, with a spiky crown and a torch in her hand. She came closer to the lady, she wanted to see what was in her other hand...

“hssssst!” A hand over her mouth. “Get your cloak. We’ll talk outside.” Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Elona recognized her hero. She followed him far into the woods, until he stopped by the river. Both the moons were full, so she could see him well, from his long brown hair to his blue boots.
There, he told her of his many adventures, and how he knew she was brave enough to accompany him... Ofcourse she would! Didn’t he know she would follow him anywhere? They would bring their peoples closer, become legends! Her poor hero, so alone...
They would go far, far away, and never come back. Elona choked. Her mother! Could she leave her? She loved her so much! But her hero said they had to be quick, because there was a monster around here, the howl beast. It was ferocious, you had to be with a large hunting group to kill it, fighting it alone was an almost impossible task. They should leave very quick, for the beast was smart and would find them soon!

AYOOOWAALL! Oh no! What was that? Quickly, he pushed her out of the way while the monster came crashing through the bushes. It was a horrible sight, fierce yellow eyes amidst long hair, and large antlers on its head. And as if that wasn’t enough, it had huge claws which could tear you apart in an instant!
“We waited too long! The howl beast is upon us! Run, Ee-lon-ya! Save yourself!”
Oh, her brave hero! He took the beast on alone! Together, they fell into the river, and all Elona could do was watch. “Stop! Oh, please! You’re killing him!” Tears were filling up in her eyes, and she wiped them away. Her hero was fighting bravely, but the beast was strong! She had to help him! He had said so himself, trying to fight the beast alone was almost impossible!
“I’m coming, spirit! Hang on”
“Stay back...”
He dragged the beast underwater, or did the beast drag him? Elona couldn’t see, and the both of them did not return to the surface yet. Long, she waited. She knelt on the riverbank, feeling her hopes starting to die as her hero never surfaced. Hoping against hope, she waited even longer. But when dawn was near, Elona could not longer avoid the horrid truth: her hero was dead. He had sacrificed his life to save hers, but it didn’t feel good. All she felt was loss... and a sudden, terrible fear of the dangerous forest. If even a hero like hers couldn’t survive here... how could she?
Elona hurried back to the village, and never ventured out again.


Collage by Embala

Grab-bag 2010-02 February

Elements:
new hope (he’ll live)
a puzzle (anything for family, eh?)
some sort of electricity (from Strongbow: brain going stand-by?)
some sort of venom/poison in the bloodstream (foaming sickness, spit is poison)
a secret revealed (secret potions used)


Wolfwood / Venom
Moons had passed since Strongbow went after his banished wolf-friend Lashpaw.

When at last he found him, Lashpaw had gotten sick and attacked him. Forced to defend himself, Strongbow knocked him unconcious.
But he couldn't just leave his dear friend out there... So he constructed a carrier, and started dragging him home.

Strongbow knew something was amiss, something had happened when Lashpaw wounded him. He could feel it in his blood, in his head. It was spreading, like a venom.
Days passed, through thunder and rain, over hills and through valleys, and still they weren't there. Occasionally, they would hide from passing humans.

At last, they found Timmain, and she took the carrier from Strongbow for the last part.
"Thunder... and skyfire... inside my head! Soon... I'll be like Lashpaw!" he urged the High One on, and slowly followed her.

Suddenly, dozens of demons appeared around him! Fierce, angry demons with blazing eyes and sharp weapons! Somewhere deeply buried in his mind, Strongbow saw they resembled his beloved tribemates... and not, at the same time. He unsheathed his knife, and attacked... till everything went black.


"Clang! Clang!" It was the well-known sound of the troll-door the elves used. Old Maggotty was just minding her own business when they came, blasted elves.

"All this sweat, and they're both done for! It doesn't make sense!"
"This isn't about sense."
"Anything for family, eh? I guess I can fault you elves in all ways but that!"

No, Old Maggotty wasn't happy at all. Sure, she’d get a good price for all of this, but she’d had to brew her secret potion in front of them... and that brat ShenShen had been staring all the time! She’d have the recipe puzzled out before long...
*mutter mutter* “Hold still, twit! This goes in, stays in and gets tended for as long as it takes!” Jamming her golden needle-like instrument into his blood vessel, Old Maggotty poured the potion in. “hee hee hee... be cured or be killed... hee hee hee....”

Slowly, the demon changed into his lovely Moonshade... then, she disappeared again as Strongbow fell into a deep, healing sleep.


Collage by Embala

Grab-bag 2010-03 March

Elements:
-a drunk named Lilac
-a bloodstained weapon
-changing one's mind completely
-a hug
-victory
-


Family ties
Pike had been there. Had seen it all happening. How the newly orphaned cub had taken the lead of the tribe, organising a bear-hunt for a not-so-bearlike creature.

He had gladly helped gather the sticky fluid they would use to cover the net with, and made a game of applying it as quickly as possible. He tried to be as fast as he could, so he could cover the parts of the net his tribemates were still working on tying stones in the sides of the net with stickyness, the poor wolfrider included.
Pike always tried to make things into games, he did not like seriousness much.

When the net was finished, the Wolfriders took to the trees. Tall, sturdy trees, more then strong enough to support the small elves and their net. And they waited. Waited until their newfound Chief lured Madcoil after him, waited till he ran for his life... Then, on his mark, they all jumped down, capturing the beast in the net.

Cutter himself had delivered the final blow, getting himself and New Moon covered in Madcoils blood and gore. Treestump had hugged his cousin hard, glad it was all over. "You did it, lad! Right through the eye!!"
And after dragging the monstrous head to the human village, they had celebrated their victory and howled for the dead. Pike had told stories of them then, and had told many more stories for the rest of his life.

*hic!* Yes, his great-great-great-great-greatgrandfather was indeed an elf to be proud of, he shouldn't be ashamed that he took after him, Lilac thought. *hic!*



Collage by Embala

Grab-bag 2010-04 April-Peacemaker

Elements:
-someone caught red-handed
-love
-things starting to happen
-internal conflict
-"ya think?"
-crrrrrrrrrrrrazy

Peacemaker
Bearclaw had been gone for days now, down in the troll tunnels doing business. 
The humans had been coming closer and closer to the Holt, right up to the point where they ambushed Brownberry and Foxfur while they were gathering eggs. They had escaped with only a few scratches, but it had been enough. Some of the Wolfriders wanted to ride out and wipe those filthy humans out once and for all.

Joyleaf, as acting chief, had ordered to stay down and not wander far from the Holt. Her son, Cutter, had voiced a never-before option... "Why don't we try and talk to them? If we could work out a peace..." 
"Ya think? Humans don't want to talk, they only understand blood!" 
The elders had tried to tell him it was too dangerous, but he wouldn't listen. So Joyleaf sent him and me to the edge of the Holt, to look out for Bearclaw. Hopefully he would be back soon, our chief would know what to do!

"I'm tired of being treated like a young cub!" Cutter spat. "You believe in me, don't you, Nightfall?" I nodded. "I believe in you, and I will follow wherever you lead." This seemed to calm him, but the next moment he was up and walking away. 

"Good. But not now. Stay here and keep watch, I'm going to talk with the humans. I'll be back when I've made peace."

And just like that, he was gone. I didn't even have time to argue with him. What should I do now?? He was my chief to be, and my dearest friend. Should I listen to him, and keep watch?But he's going to the humans! Will they really listen to him? Or... Will they attack him, like they did to Brownberry and Foxfur? Oooh, he's crrrrrrrrrrrrazy!! 

Agonizing moments for me. I did not want to betray my friend's trust, but what if he was walking right into a death trap? I would never forgive myself... I made my decision. **Joyleaf...!!**

Joyleaf acted quickly, and mere moments after my message she had gathered a rescue party. I was ordered back to the Holt, where I was welcomed and hugged. 

A little while later, the party returned. They were carrying a heavily wounded Cutter, and I rushed to his side. "Oh no!! Is he... It's all my fault! If I had warned you sooner..." 

Joyleaf had grabbed me by the shoulders, and made me look her in the eyes. "You are the one that saved Cutter. If you hadn't warned us, he'd be dead now! Yes, he is heavily wounded, and might not pull through, but you gave him this fighting chance!"

Hereafter, she disappeared into her den, where Rain had already started working on Cutters healing. I stayed outside with the rest of the tribe, waiting and hoping and praying to the High Ones that our young chief-son would make it. 

Days later, when Bearclaw finally returned, I still hadn't stopped crying. Rain had worked almost without rest, and still Cutter wasn't healed! Silently, I glared at my chief. Why had he not been here? He should have been here, to save his son!

With new hope, I saw Bearclaw exit the den again. His words went past me completely, because I had finally seen what I almost didn't dare hope for anymore... Cutter was looking out of the den! A teary smile broke through on my face, and I wiped her tears away. Unable to contain my joy, I sent all my love to him.

The return sending was full of gratitude, not a hint of anger or betrayed feelings. **Thank you.** 

May 2010
-something with spring (cleaning/happiness/nature waking up)
-Falling
-nuts
-an argument
-survival
-a threat


Culture clash
Ember had found her first wolf-friend! Enjoying the sight of the young cub, and thinking back to her own first wolf-friend, Moonshade heard Leetah talk about missing Cutter so much. 

"It's your own fault! Your place is by your lifemate's side! You should have joined him on his quest!"
Leetah does not seem to listen, and turns away. Instead, Nightfall captures Moonshades attention. 

"That's not fair! If YOU had cubs as young as Suntop and Ember, would you abandon them to follow Strongbow on a dangerous journey?"
"I would - if Strongbow were chief! You know as well as I that a chief's cubs belong to all his tribe!

There isn't one of us who wouldn't gladly have helped to parent the twins -- if Leetah had gone with Cutter as she should have!"

Still angry, Moonshade turned to her lifemate as Nightfall went after Leetah. 
"She should have gone with Cutter! It's The Way! Oooh, puckernuts! This folk does things so different from our ways... How long can we stay Wolfriders here?"

Silent as ever, Strongbow put an arm around his lifemate. **Have faith in Cutter, my Eyrn. He will fix things.**
Back at the cavern where they lived, Moonshade fell down on their sleep furs. "It's just... They will never understand the Way! Even after all these turns of the seasons, they just can't understand... Almost like humans!"
Hugging her son, Moonshade shook her head. "I hope he won't turn into one of them... Always stay with us, stay with the Way, my sweet cub!"


Shadow Pact
Unbeknownst to Cutter and Skywise, Leetah, the cubs and the Wolfriders have taken off to find them. Unbeknownst to them, Cutter and Skywise have gone to a human village with Nonna and Adar, where they were honored with a feast, with lots of meat, fish, fruit and nuts, in other words everything the village could offer. The high place the elves were standing on was decorated with strings of spring flowers.

Envious, a grey-haired man watches it all from the bushes. He has no name, for chief Olbar has taken it from him as punishment for a terrible crime. Though he barely remembers what he did, he would do anything to get his name back... And Bone Woman knows it.

"You see, Thief? Olbar is seduced by the dark magic of the beast eared ones! He will bring evil on us all in his weakness! But if I were to deal with these demons - ah! how I would make them bow to me! That charm the white-haired one wears about his neck -- it is the source of all their power! I'm sure of it! With that magic stone -- I could work wonders!
Get it for me Thief! Steal me the demons' talismand and I will reward you! I will give you back the things you want most - your place in the tribe... you warrior's spear... and your name!!" 
Now that got his attention! 

"My naaaame... I'd kill to regain it!" And so the pact was sealed. She smeared a special potion on his skin so the wolf-guards would not scent him and warn the demons. Thief slowly crept through the bushes, his eyes fixed on the magic stone. 
He heard Olbar try to stop the demons from going away, but their wolf-guards quickly halted him.
At the moment the white-haired demon passed him, Thief quickly reached out to grab the stone.... 
and got his thumb cut off! The demon was quick, much quicker then Thief had thought... 

Thief never knew where his thumb fell, as he ran off into the wood clutching his wounded hand, barely noticing the screaming and yelling behind him, but feeling the snapping of the wolf-guards teeth at his heels all the more!


Pact's End
Arriving at a secret meeting place deep in the forest, Bone Woman tends to Thief's wound. Now, she promises to make him chief instead of Olbar if he succeeds to steal the talisman. Thief isn't stupid, he knows the Bone Woman can't be trusted. So he threatens her to make her swear on the promise. Once more, she smears the potion on his skin. "Now go! You will find the demons near the river!"

Oh yes, he will find them near the river... and he will kill them if he gets the chance! And when he has destroyed them... if that talisman is really that powerful... maybe he'll keep that magic stone for himself!

Arriving at the death water, Thief noticed the wolf-guards leaving. Good! They would not be around to protect their masters now, the kill would be easy! Though he had to be quick, for the demons looked like they were making ready to descend the cliffs. Now, the frost-haired one would pay for maiming his hand!

A deadly stone for the demon - and a magic stone for him! The sling whirls around and around, then releases it's missile - which strikes unerringly home! The demon falls! The other demon turns around, knife drawn - but another stone is already on it's way. Puckernuts, he manages to shield his head with his arm! Well, Thief still has his big wooden club to finish the job, and he lunges forward. The demon evades his club, and swings his knife in return. Thief feels superior, for the Bone Woman's medicine has given him speed to match the demon's! 

"Soon I will have all your powers and you will lie as still as your companion!" Thief laughs.
The demon answers him with rage. 'You like to kill, do you, human? So do I - when I must! You are meat to be wasted! Your blood will fall on bare rock, and nourish nothing!"

Now, Thief bellows with laughter. "You would stick me with your single spine, little quill-pig? I could wear you in place of my lost thumb! 
Are these the mighty spirits I was taught in my youth to fear? Bah! The legends lie! You can die! You have blood, and it flows as red as any beast's!"

Thief can not be afraid of the demon. He towers over the child-like figure, and raises his club high for the final strike. He feels his life returning to him. "Before this day is done, I shall be the greatest chieftain of all!! And I will have a new name, they will call me - Spirit Slayer!"

Bringing his club down, Thief suddenly stops mid-motion. The demon's knife is buried deep in his chest, almost all to the hilt. Thief feels his life fleeing away, blood starts to drip out of his mouth as well as his chest. "You...! you've killed me!"

He never heard the demon's answer, as Thief staggered back - toward the edge of the cliff. He falls! Instinctively, Thief flings his arms out, trying to find a hold. Thank Gotara, he finds it! And, within reach, there is the magic stone! With his dying breath, Thief grabs the talisman. The white-haired demon won't let go! Thief feels his last strength leaving him, and loses his hold on the cliff. 

The feel of the magic stone in his hand comforts him in those last moments, now he will surely be reborn as a great warrior! Thief never felt his lifeless body releasing the stone, nor the touch of the rocks at the bottom of the death water. 

August 2010
-"don't be afraid"  
-grain  
-an explanation  
-new life  
-going on  
-a bright sun

Untitled
“Don’t be afraid, sweet cubling. It’s only that brown grass waving in the wind.” The young Wolfrider looked up at his mother. Smiling, she ruffled his golden-brown hair.

After the death of her Recognized, she had fallen into a deep pit of despair, never wanting to come out of it again. The tribe had let her be, for a while, understanding and respecting her loss, her mourning. But after some time, they had come.

Had come to try to drag her out of that misery, trying to get that happy smile back on her face.

Nothing had worked.

Until that day. That day she first felt the cub inside of her. She had all but forgotten about the cubling, absorbed as she was in her loss. Carefully, she had felt him move around. And the moment her soul touched his... it was most beautiful. She had felt some of herself in the cubling, and even more of her beloved. It was as if his spirit had given them a little push in the right direction, out of the misery of mourning.

That day, when she finally emerged from her den, the whole tribe howled. Howled for the loss of one of their beloved tribemembers, and for the joy of welcoming not one, but two Wolfriders in their midst. A smile bright as the sun appeared on her face that day, never to leave it again.

September 2010
-honesty  
-the road untraveled
-return
-a reunion  

Unnamed snippet
"Honestly! We've been here before!"

The three elves stop walking in the middle of the tunnel, arguing. Any onlooker would not be able to see their features, as they did not have a torch or other light source with them. These elves had excellent night vision, even in the pitch-black of these deep caves they could make everything out.

The other elf looked around. "No, we've not... Just look! These caves have never been entered before! I don't see any footprints ahead! And behind us are our own footprints!"

A third elf sighs. "I still have this strange feeling... like we've been here before! Like we should be here, re-uniting with someting or someone!" He shrugs. "Strange... but come on, let's continue exploring!"

October 2010

Elements:
-a wound
-a dance
-living dead
-cooking
-whistling leaves
-insanity

The Longest Night
For Go-backs, the Longest Night had special meaning. This night, the world died, and was reborn. The Go-backs celebrated this with a dance. They would collect whistling leaves during the day because these leaves vocalize the dying cries of the world. All of the big green leaves would be squashed, to get the juice out. A part of this sticky, green juice would be added to the meat for cooking. Because of this, the meat would be more intoxicating than dreamberries when eaten. The rest of the juice would be used to smear on their naked bodies, to truly become one with the dying world.

After dinner, the Go-backs would start dancing round the fire. Slowly at first, but increasing in speed as the night wears on. There would be singing, and waving with spears. Softly humming, a few of the Go-backs would rub all the leftovers of the juice on themselves and the others.

Often, some of the spears would be woven around too enthousiastically, and wound one of the dancers. But in the heat of the dance, it was never noticed. Dancing on, faster and faster, ever round and round, dancing, singing, dying with the world.

In the middle of the night, they would all go out in the snow, and wash each other with the cold white snow. With the removal of the whistling leaves juice, they would be reborn, just like the world would be reborn this night. The children would be sent to bed after this rebirth, and their parents would add another element to the rebirth. Almost everybody would visit everybody’s furs that night, hopefully creating new life this night as well.

Secret Santa gift for Embala, cannot remember which year

“What should I do, mother, that would please you most?”
“All that was best in Rayek, and none of the worst, I see in you.” Kahvi’s smile was gentle as she spoke to her daughter. Then, it hardened. “Teach him a lesson, that’s all I ask. Teach him so he learns!”

What kind of lesson would that be? Young Venka wondered at what her mother meant by telling her to teach her father a lesson... what could possibly be a lesson to one who had coldly, instantly, stole away a whole family to the far future?

It was never said aloud, but still all too clear that Rayek would be better off as far away from the Wolfriders as he could be when they arrived in whatever time he had gone off to. Unable to help herself, she did feel sorry for that strange elf, her father. Although he did deserve what was coming to him.... or did he?

**Don't ask. Don't talk about him, or what he did. All you'll be doing is ripping up old wounds.** Strongbow's sending was firm, and harsh for the young girl. "But..."
**No buts. You know it's true, especially for Cutter.** Affectionately, Strongbow touched her cheek.
**It's better this way, cub. He's... different. Not like us. He just ... got up and went. Just like that, without a second thought, not caring who was in- or outside the Palace. He just went, discarding us all like worn-out sleepfur!**

Abruptly, the elder elf turned and hurried away, bow in hand. Venka understood his feelings about her father, though she didn't like it. How could anyone just discard others? Could anyone be that heartless, that cold?

And most importantly, if her father really was that cold, would she somehow be cold too? When would that coldness show? Would she abandon friend and family for some selfish goal?

Troubled, the young elf wandered through the Holt high in the trees, soundless as any Wolfrider.
**Trouble, cubling?** The sending startled her.
“Nothing important, Cutter.” Venka didn’t turn toward the chief as he exited his den.
“Then why are you walking around with a face like a stormcloud?”
Venka chuckled. “A stormcloud, eh? KA-BOOM!” She shouted while jumping on her tribesmate and chief. Cutter laughed when he caught the young elf and together they rolled into the den he had just exited. Cutter fell abruptly silent when he looked into the girl’s amber eyes, and Venka’s mood fell. She knew what he was thinking. So much like her father... Venka quickly crouched a little away from the silent elf. “Cutter...” her voice was barely audible. “Am I really that much like him?” Her troubled eyes stared intently at him, noticing every muscle that tensed at the mentioning of Rayek.

Cutter growled. “Rayek...” Her mind filled with the images Cutter sent her, of the last confrontation Cutter had had with Rayek. They had been so close... so close to killing each other, there in the Palace of the High Ones. Regret seeped through the images, Cutter wished he had killed Rayek that day. Suddenly, the images broke off and Cutter turned away from her. “Go... I shouldn’t have shown you this. You are not your father...”
“I’m not my father? What are you -”
“Just GO!”

Deep in thought, Venka wandered out of the forest toward the cliff. There was a dark figure flying away from the cliff towards the east. A faint sending reached her **Teach him, my fawn. Teach him so he learns...** Then Kahvi was gone, back towards the Frozen Mountains as she had told her daughter she wanted to go.

Mother and child moon were just coming into view, and she felt a pang of jealousy as she saw how close they were. She had never felt that close to her mother, all the shouting and bragging was nothing like her.
The fear grew. If she wasn’t like her mother, she had to be like her father! But she didn’t want to be!

“Venka! The hunt’s on. Where’s Kahvi?” Zhantee’s voice pulled her attention back towards the Now. “She’s flown off... with Tyldak. They hope to find a way back to the frozen mountains over land!”
Zhantee chuckled. “Those two!?!”
“ ‘Differences make good sparks’, she said.” Differences... Did she really differ from her mother, her father? Venka turned to face Zhantee.
“Zhantee... share a memory with me. In the Sun Village, before... before all this, what was my father like?”

Zhantee sighed. “He was...” He looked up to the stars. “I... I was one of those who admired him... even liked him. When he reached a goal, he would not rest, but always aimed higher.” Zhantee paused, and a small smile appeared on his lips. “I think perhaps I am a wolfrider now, because of Rayek’s example then.”
Hmmm.... so maybe there was a good side to Rayek after all. Maybe he wasn’t just cold and heartless, maybe there was more...

While most of the tribe hunted, Venka stayed in the Holt with Tyleet.
“Do I seem cold and heartless to you?” Tyleet’s face was filled with confusion at the question. “Ofcourse not! You’re always so warm and caring! Whoever put that notion into your head?”
“Nobody. I just thought... my father...” Venka lowered her eyes. Tyleet shook her head and hugged her friend. “Believe me, you are nothing like your father.” She sent. A flood of images, of moments from their past, flooded Venka. Moments of scarceness, where she saw herself giving up portions of her dinner to a she-wolf big with cubs, moments where she assisted Shenshen with a more serious injury, moments where she protected the tribe from the Black Snake.... countless moments passed, all where Venka showed love and care for the tribe. “See? You are nothing like him. You may look like him, but you do know how to love, how to care about people. From the stories I hear, he has trouble doing that.”
Slowly, Venka nodded. Tyleet was right. Somewhere deep inside, she must have known all along that she wasn’t like her father at all.

Venka realized what she had to do.
“Somewhere, though, Rayek has something good.... And I’m gonna bring that out in him!”

O____________________________________________________________O

Aw comm'ooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Faeriegirl!!!! It can't end like this!

Wavedancer swimming story

“Moonmirror... Tumble... Do you remember the time you were riding the giant slaptails?”
I immediately had their attention. This was always the start of a good story... and everybody loved storytime.
“That one time we almost got caught by the landers?” “That was scary! I’m soo glad you guys saved us!”

I laugh. Ofcourse the whole tribe went out there to save them, younglings are the most important part of the tribe!
“Well, we’re glad to have saved you too. But tell me, it has been so long since I have done it... how did it feel? How did you move?”
Moonmirror and Tumble couldn’t tell me fast enough, it seemed. “They were so big!! And so fast!! We had to be very quick to grab their tails! But we did!! And it went so fast, I could never swim so fast as they do!”

Meanwhile, more tribesmembers have settled around us. They know I have reason to ask these questions... to teach them something. When you live in and near the ocean, it is very important to know how things work there. As a Firstborn, I have lived long enough to have studied the plants and animals in the sea, see how they live together, eat together, die together.

“Tell me, sweet pips, how does a slaptail swim?”

Surprised, they look at each other. “They ehm... just swim!” There is laughter all around us.
“Indeed they do, Tumble. But does he swim in the same way you do?” I see him thinking hard, a frown on his young face. Then, a smile breaks through. “No! He doesn’t! I swim using my arms and legs... but he doesn’t have those! He uses his tail!”

“Very good, dear. Now, look at me. I also have a tail. Do I swim like a slaptail?”
“You’ve still got your arms! You’re no slaptail, you’re an elf like us!” Moonmirror blurts out the answer.

“An elf like you... yes, the flesh-shapers of our tribe have made me so. You are both bright young pips, I know you’ll understand what I’ll try to teach you here.” I ruffle their hair.
“The slaptails do swim by using their tails. As you have noticed when swimming with them, they move it up and down. Up and down, up and down, ever swimming.”
They nod. Everybody knows this.
“Now, fish also swim. What is the difference between a slaptail swimming and a fish swimming?”
Little Puffer happily joins in. “Fish swim sideways! Not up and down! Left and right! I’ve seen it!!”

His mother pulls him on her lap and hugs him. “Absolutely right! A fish moves almost in the same way as a slaptail, but moves from left to right and back instead of up and down...
And it’s rhythmic, the way they move. When swimming peacefully for long times, they’ll swim twice their length in a second!”

“I can swim faster!” Tumble proudly announces.
“Ofcourse you can, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to catch fish for our dinner! So, which fish do you catch out of a school?”

Tumble shrugs. “Whichever one is closest, or slowest, I guess.”

“That’s good! But did you know that some fish are better then others to catch?”
I see heads shaking no.

“It’s true. When swimming behind each other in a school, the fish in the back are better. Because there are fish swimming in front of them, somehow they change the water so that it is easier to swim for them. So they have better flesh for us to eat. Nice, huh?”

Moonmirror looks puzzled. “Change the water? Can they really do that?”

“Sure they can, pip. And so can you! And Tumble, and me, and everybody who swims. I have studied fish long and hard, and have seen it. I took some sand from the sea bottom, and let it loose just above and in front of a school of fish. Because they knew me to just watch them and not hurt them, I could do this. So they just kept on swimming, right through the cloud of sand. Did you know what I saw then?”

“Noo... what did you see?”

“I saw whirlwinds. In the water. All the fish were making small whirlwinds with their tails, with every move they made. So I swam after them, and watched the water behind me. My tail was making the same whirlwinds! But bigger, I think because my tail is bigger.
Somehow those whirlwinds do something with the fish, make it easier to swim. I do not know how, I did not feel any change in the water. But the fish in the back of the school were somehow swimming slower, did not need to move their tail as much as the ones in the front.”

@Kindred, what can't end like that...?

OH my gosh!! You know what happened?? I was reading "Her Hero" right after you posted it and by the time I was done and posted, you already added more stories!

LOLOLOL yeah I was basically copy-pasting all of my stories one after the other

Glad you liked it!


Tip: Go back to page 1. Embala made a couple of awesome collages, I've now found and added them to the stories. "Her hero" is one of them.

Here goes....

My contribution to the May 2015 Grab-bag.

Birth of a tree(shaper)
"Redlance dear, you are not listening! A seed takes time to grow after it is planted!"
Dark. Dry. Warm. No water. Grow? Growing is difficult. Slow. Wait. Water will come, if I wait. Daystar gives enough light and warmth, but no water means no growing.
Then... A probing feeling. Green feeling, inexperienced but persevering. Nudging, stimulating... I tentatively grow thin roots, looking for water. Yes! The green feeling works like light and makes every drop of water work like eights upon eights of drops.
"You cannot make it sprout simply by staring..."
Grow... Grow towards the Daystar. Push... Light! As soon as possible I extend leaves to catch the light of the Daystar, so I can grow even more.
"...at ... it!"
The green feeling stops. I turn towards the Daystar to start my life.

Aww, that was cute! Short yet very sweet. Interesting to see the perspective of a plant! I particularly liked how the plant had a concept of color.

Slight criticism, I think you should have used more enter. A block of text, even a small one like here is a little hard on the eyes!

Since I read Wolfrider first, the description of how Redlance was finally being able to make plants grow, instead of working as an extended "green" magic was a bit... underwhelming in my eyes. I think this story put it better.

I think it was perfect !

Another snippet, recently posted for the August 2015 Grab-bag.

Prey
Silent... Careful, lest they notice...
Using all of its 8 eyes, the spirit-maker watches the large prey. Briefly he remembered his great-grandfather, killed by these prey. Sometimes the prey is killer, which is just not right. We are hunter, not prey! Sometimes, as if in a dream, he could see his great-grandfather, surrounded by bright lights. The spirit-maker had never seen such lights, but had heard about them, it was like when lightning struck the dry forest and made it all surrounded by bright light. Many animals go into the light then, but he had survived. His family not, he was all alone.
The prey are surrounding the slowest of them; it has a great full belly which will make the best food! He will eat the big-bellied one, or even better the soft, tiny one that will soon come out.

Silent now... slowly…
“There’s no pain at all, cubling… only the pleasure of guiding him into a new world. You’ll see… Now!”
Yes, a tiny prey slides out of the big-bellied prey.
The spirit-maker jumps at the chance to sting and eat the tiny prey. Now, when they are just born, they have the best taste.
*KWOLP*
Sudden darkness surrounds him, and shakes him around and around. Dizzy, the spirit-maker hears exclaims from the prey. They are hunter now, and he the caught prey.


Embala made an awesome collage for this grab-bag too:


----
Added info:
A Spirit-maker is a spider. It is described in 'Wolfrider!' as "a jumping spider with venom, so quick and deadly, the elves call it a spirit-maker": here.
It's also shown in color in SatS here.