Redhead Ember's Stories and Poetry

Hunter

Two young boys stood looking over the vast desert surrounding Sorrow’s End.

“One day,” the younger of the two said, looking up at his older brother, “I’m going to go out there. I’m going to see the world!”

“Are you?” the older one asked with amusement in his voice, affectionately ruffling his brother’s hair.

“Yep! I’ll become just as good a hunter as Rayek is and then we’ll go off to explore together!”

However, the young boy never became a hunter, and Rayek never once looked in his direction. It wasn’t fault, really; the boy never once considered actually asking Rayek if he would train him, and Rayek – so used to being the only hunter of the village – never realised that there was a young boy who dreamt of hunting. So time passed and eventually the boy settled down to become a farmer like his parents and older brother, and then everything changed.

Strangers came to the quiet oasis and when things had settled again Rayek was gone, he had left the village; unable to accept that the beautiful healer Leetah had recognized the newcomers’ bold young chief, Cutter, and that his place as sole hunter was irrevocable gone with 17 new hunters to take his place.

For seven years, the two tribes lived in peace. Leetah gave birth the twins; bold wolf blooded Ember, destined to one day follow in her father’s footsteps as chief of the Wolfriders, and gentle mystic Suntop, destined to, become something else. Everybody thought this peace would last forever; it wasn’t to be. One day, to everyone’s horror, humans came to Sorrow’s End.

Cutter and his friend, the stargazer Skywise, left in search for other elves and for some time life went on in the village, until that horrible day when Savah, revered Mother of Memory, had her soul abducted by an unknown force and fell into a deep trance. Suntop – sweet gentle Suntop – had a warning for Cutter, and the Wolfriders would bring the boy to his father at whatever cost. They were going to leave and Leetah with them. The villagers were confused and frightened; how would they manage without their healer? And, perhaps more importantly, who would now protect them? For many years, they’d had Rayek to protect them, and then they’d had the Wolfriders, now they would have no one.

It was at that moment, when fear and confusion reigned, young Dart, son of the archer Strongbow and the tanner Moonshade, stepped forward and declared that he, spindly half-grown youth as he was, would train the villagers to become hunters themselves.

Lutei smiled to himself; for many years, he had fought to forget his old dream of becoming a hunter, but the dream had never really left him, he would take up Dart’s offer to train. Sure, the youth was only a few years older than he had been all those years ago when he had proudly told his brother that he was going to become a hunter one day, but only a fool would underestimate him; he was the son of Strongbow after all.

And so it passed that the boy who had dreamt of becoming a hunter, but given his dream up, finally became a hunter indeed. When three years later the small band of hunters were preparing to leave the village to bring aid to the Wolfriders, Lutei went over to his brother who – as usual – was digging in his garden.

“Told you so.” He said.

“Huh?” Ohler asked, looking up at his younger brother.

“I told you I was going to go out there and see the world. Now I am.”

“Indeed you are, little brother.”

The Ties that Bind

“This is strange.” Cutter said to Skywise once his soulbrother had returned from dropping off Dart and Freetouch with Ember’s tribe, “My little cousin is a grandmother.”

“So are you. A grandsire that is, not a grandmother.”

“I know that. But Korafay hasn’t recognized Windkin, has she?”

There was a comfortable silence after that as everyone relaxed beneath the shade of the Father Tree. With a smile Cutter looked at his tribe mates; they were all there, all those who should be, there were some who were happily living with Ember, and some who were in the Palace as spirits.

“You know what I just realised?” He asked after some time. “Of the two-eights and one of us who passed through the desert all those many years ago, only Skywise, Pike, Scouter and Newstar have not yet become grandparents.”

“Oh, but I am a grandsire.” Skywise retorted, “Is Yun not my daughter?”

“Yes…”

“Is Khorbasi not her son?”

“I suppose so.”

“Then I’m Khorbasi’s grandsire.”

“It’s not quite the same, is it?”

“Is Shukopek your grandson?”

“Of course he is.”

“Because he’s the son of your adopted daughter. Well, Khorbasi is the adopted son of my daughter. The only difference is at which point the adoption happened. Oh, and while we’re at it; I’m pretty sure Scouter would say that he is Teir’s grandsire.”

Cutter had to admit that there was a lot of truth to what Skywise was saying; why – after all – did he have any more right to call Shukopek his grandson, than Skywise had to call Khorbasi his? Not only that; he had called both One-Eye as well as Strongbow and Moonshade grandparents, even though the former had died long before his grandson had been born, and the latters’ grandson had lived and died during the Long Wait.

“Moonshade?” He asked tentatively, not wanting to disturb the happiness of the tanner and her lifemate, which in these days had become so rare.

“Yes?”

“Do you think of yourself as a grandmother, even though your grandson both lived and died while we slept?”

“Of course. At first when Dart told me about how he had recognized Wing’s daughter I was rather shocked, but that was mostly because in my mind I still thought of Wing as a little cub, not someone old enough to be a sire, let alone a grandsire. I have spoken with Bowki in the Palace; even though I will never get to meet him in the flesh he will always have a place in my heart, just like Crescent will.” There was a hint of sadness in her voice at the last bit, it was clear that the pain of losing her first child so long ago had never entirely left her.

*Look at Sunstream.* Strongbow suddenly sent, having without doubt listened in on the conversation between his chief and his lifemate.

Turning around Cutter saw Sunstream sitting against the roots of the Father Tree, his eyes closed; it was clear that he had ‘gone out’ undoubtedly to speak to Brill. The look on Sunstream’s face showed that while he had stayed with the Wavedancers because he had been unable to leave his lifemate and newborn daughter behind he was content with the fact that, for the time being, his duty as ‘the link’ meant that communication with his family had to be on the spirit plane. Besides, that was how he and Brill had met in the first place.

When Leetah and Skywise had told him that Sunstream had chosen to stay behind to raise his daughter Cutter had not really been surprised, not only had he been slightly more occupied with the sudden reappearance of Windkin, but in a way he had known that it would be so, and he had been glad. It had been strange that none of his children were living with him, but it had not in any way been like during those terrible long year he had waited after his family had been stolen, or even how it had been when the tribe had first split. No matter where they were, Cutter always felt the presence of his cubs – all three of them – in his heart.

This is very sweet.

Into Night

Sea cub born with sun in heart
dances on the waves.

Suddenly she realizes;
she’s far away from home.
All alone, on waters dark,
she feels a pang of fear.

Though not for long,
in starry night,
hidden wolf within her springs;
makes her brave anew.

Farewell now she bids to fear
runs into the night.

Still she dances on the waves,
child of sea and sun.
Child of stars she is as well;
from above they smile.

Far away she spots a shape
of fear and sudden death.
A storm has caught a human ship;
left nobody alive.

Unexpectedly she sees
a life that still remains.

A little boy clings to the wreck,
crying, half asleep.
On the edge of life and death
he does not see her clear.

Carefully she takes the boy,
holds him in her arms.
As they fly he does not know;
this is not a dream.

As sun returns she ends her flight;
brings him to the shore.

Near human home she lays him down,
and then she hides and waits.
voices call then in the dawn;
the boy has found a home.

Going home she does as well,
she is tired now.
Worried parents find her there;
smiles so knowingly.

Sea cub born with stars in heart
sleeps the day away.

Redhead Ember wrote:

Into Night

Sea cub born with sun in heart
dances on the waves.

Suddenly she realizes;
she’s far away from home.
All alone, on waters dark,
she feels a pang of fear.

Though not for long,
in starry night,
hidden wolf within her springs;
makes her brave anew.

Farewell now she bids to fear
runs into the night.

Still she dances on the waves,
child of sea and sun.
Child of stars she is as well;
from above they smile.

Far away she spots a shape
of fear and sudden death.
A storm has caught a human ship;
left nobody alive.

Unexpectedly she sees
a life that still remains.

A little boy clings to the wreck,
crying, half asleep.
On the edge of life and death
he does not see her clear.

Carefully she takes the boy,
holds him in her arms.
As they fly he does not know;
this is not a dream.

As sun returns she ends her flight;
brings him to the shore.

Near human home she lays him down,
and then she hides and waits.
voices call then in the dawn;
the boy has found a home.

Going home she does as well,
she is tired now.
Worried parents find her there;
smiles so knowingly.

Sea cub born with stars in heart
sleeps the day away.

Awww... as the Little Mermaid! So lovely!

Thanks.

Awww... mother is proud of her little one's compassion ^^

And too!

Hunter I love reading about "what if" characters we only get to see in the background of the OQ stories. After reading this, I pictured that scene where Dart and his jackal riders came crashing through the woods at Blue Mountain, and all the Sunfolk riders behind him... and now I'm wondering which un-named face you may have been writing about!

The Ties that Bind How on earth did you keep all the relations straight when writing this!?

Into the Night Beautiful story, but even better as you wrote it as a poem!  Hoping to see this story unfold some more???

Hunter: I did mention the names...

Ties that Bind: Magic!

Into Night Thanks. Think I wrote it for an old grab-bag challenge...

Redhead Ember wrote:

Hunter: I did mention the names...

aw, ok my bad then... It's been so long since I read "Siege" that I most likely forgot, or didn't recognize the names

Kindredsoul wrote:

Redhead Ember wrote:

Hunter: I did mention the names...

aw, ok my bad then... It's been so long since I read "Siege" that I most likely forgot, or didn't recognize the names

We don't know them from Siege. Ohler is Newstar's current lifemate, Lutei is Kimo's dad (who died in the fighting in Sorrow's End).

faeriegirl wrote:

Kindredsoul wrote:

Redhead Ember wrote:

Hunter: I did mention the names...

aw, ok my bad then... It's been so long since I read "Siege" that I most likely forgot, or didn't recognize the names

We don't know them from Siege. Ohler is Newstar's current lifemate, Lutei is Kimo's dad (who died in the fighting in Sorrow's End).

And Ohler and Lutei are brothers.
It was on purpose that I didn't mention the names until pretty far into the stories. And it's my own head-canon that Ohler is the older brother.



Ok. 'Random thought alert':
Imagine if the Korafay recognizing Windkin actually happened... that would be one helluva confusing family-tree! (you know... it totally isn't already...)

ChristinaRaibert wrote:

Redhead Ember wrote:

Into Night

Sea cub born with sun in heart
dances on the waves.

Suddenly she realizes;
she’s far away from home.
All alone, on waters dark,
she feels a pang of fear.

Though not for long,
in starry night,
hidden wolf within her springs;
makes her brave anew.

Farewell now she bids to fear
runs into the night.

Still she dances on the waves,
child of sea and sun.
Child of stars she is as well;
from above they smile.

Far away she spots a shape
of fear and sudden death.
A storm has caught a human ship;
left nobody alive.

Unexpectedly she sees
a life that still remains.

A little boy clings to the wreck,
crying, half asleep.
On the edge of life and death
he does not see her clear.

Carefully she takes the boy,
holds him in her arms.
As they fly he does not know;
this is not a dream.

As sun returns she ends her flight;
brings him to the shore.

Near human home she lays him down,
and then she hides and waits.
voices call then in the dawn;
the boy has found a home.

Going home she does as well,
she is tired now.
Worried parents find her there;
smiles so knowingly.

Sea cub born with stars in heart
sleeps the day away.

Awww... as the Little Mermaid! So lovely!

SUCH A LOVELY POEM!

...and also reminds me a bit of Tyleet and Little Patch!

Parting

“I do wish you would stay, my friend.”

“I can’t. I understand your dream, understand that you want to keep everyone safe, but it is not my dream. I belong out here, among the living, not entombed in living stone.”

For a while, no more words were spoken between the two friends as they stood looking at the mountain in which one of them – with all those who would follow – had decided to make his home, away from the dangers of the outside world.

‘Safety from the outside world’ that had been Voll’s dream for a long time now. He wanted to find somewhere free of all the dangers surrounding his small group of followers which was growing smaller all too quickly for consisting of beings who were supposedly immortal. Finally they had come across the big mountain and Voll had decided that this would be the place; a place to keep living as in the long forgotten days of old.

Several had supported his idea, Winnowill – sweet gentle Winnowill – most of all, and the rockshapers, led by Aurek, had instantly begun the enormous task of making the interior of the mountain liveable. However, another large group had protested at the idea; saying that if they wanted to survive in this hostile world, they had to learn how to live in it, not merely hide away. The leader of this second group had been Yurek, someone Voll would have liked very much to stay and help shape the mountain, but he would not force his friend to stay so now these two friends stood looking at a mountain while two groups were busy packing. One group to move into said mountain, the other to leave and go High Ones knew where.

Redhead Ember wrote:

Ok. 'Random thought alert':
Imagine if the Korafay recognizing Windkin actually happened... that would be one helluva confusing family-tree! (you know... it totally isn't already...)

Forget the family tree, you'd have a areal-wavedancer... so would that mean that their kids could only dance their way through stormclouds, or would they only be able to fly in bubbles under the sea? Air shaping, water shaping wolfriders.... but possibly without wolfblood (even though 1/2 of the grandparents involved were wolfriders)... Starting to get as mixed up as Two Edge!

Technically Korafay already is an "areal-wavedancer".
There wouldn't be any wolfblood; Sunstream never had it and Windkin had his removed.

Let Hands Touch With Joy

What was that noise? A strange sniffling sound, there it was again.

Part curious, part worried Ember went to investigate, what she saw almost made her heart drop into her stomach; little Tingeh was sitting leaned against one of the rocks, tears streaming down her face.

“Tingeh?” the chieftess asked softly approaching the human girl, who startled looked up.

“Chi-chieftess.” She stammered, furiously trying to wipe the tears from her eyes.

“Ember, my name is Ember. Didn’t Khorbasi tell you to remember our names?”

“Yeah… he did. Ember.”

“So, you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” The girl looked at the ground.

“Listen.” Ember knelt down in front of the girl, gently forcing her to look into her eyes, “If you want to be part of this tribe, then you follow our rules. One of those rules is that we’re honest about how we feel, besides; if it was truly nothing then why are you hiding away and crying like this?”

“It’s just… I miss my parents.”

“That’s definitely not ‘nothing’. You have had a horrible experience, you lost your parents, your home, and you almost died. You have every right to be sad.”

“What I went through isn’t nearly as bad as what you went through. That’s why I hid; I didn’t want you, or anyone, to worry.”

Tingeh’s words hit Ember like a flash of skyfire. Her initial reaction to seeing the human cubs had been fear and mistrust; in her wounded state after what Angrif Djun had done to her, she had been almost unable to stomach the sight of those unfamiliar human cubs. For a brief moment before they entered the pod to fly to the top of the mountain she had even considered ordering that the human children would stay behind. Yet here was this young girl, truly the innocent victim in the struggle between Angrif Djun and the elves, who despite everything she had suffered still was willing to suffer in silence so she would not worry the others.

“It’s doesn’t work that way. We don’t rank horrible experiences, we just lend a hand and a shoulder to everyone who feels sad, or scared, or lonely. You understand?”

Tingeh nodded, raising her hand to her eyes as if she once more wanted to wipe off the tears, then she let the hand drop again allowing the tears to fall freely. Smiling through tears, she looked up at Ember.

“Come on. You have never experienced a real Wolfrider howl.” Standing again Ember reached her hand down to help the human girl up, then the two of them walked over to where the rest of the tribe was gathered.

An encounter that could have been. Insights in Ember's hostile feelings after she was rescued. a glimpse on little Tingeh's loss, sorrow and loneliness. And a reconciliatory, optimistic prospect.
You show us a sad and sweet scene that was skipped due to the most recent time leap. Thank you for this.

Tingeh is so lovable. I wonder what happened to her and the kids.

Thanks.

I was going to have the story continue with some silly story told by Dewshine, but that didn't seem natural.
Silly story will come later.

Angrif
oh, Angrif
you got a weird deco-style.
To be harsh and cruel you go that extra mile:
Now you're dead
and your head
hangs on a ship.

Three Souls Bound

Scouter stood at the top of Howling Rock, starring towards the spot where she had disappeared. Dewshine; the girl he had grown up with, his first love, his lifemate. Yet, even as he felt as if his heart was to be torn out of his chest for the lifemate who had gone down to face the shapechanged; he still felt his heart reaching out for another. Tyleet; the girl who had grown up half a world away from him, his recognized love, his lifemate. Deep within his heart he knew that recently he had perhaps been a bit too focused on Dewshine, while somehow worrying less about Tyleet, even though she was the one heavy with a cub, his cub.

Lovemate. You cared so well for me when I carried Windkin. Would you deny Tyleet that kindness? She needs you now more than anyone else.

I must. If I do not come back, you have Tyleet and the cub.

Her words were like an echo in his mind. Her gentle, yet firm, reminder that he needed to take care of Tyleet while she was carrying their cub, just as he had done for Dewshine back when she had been carrying her cub, which wasn’t his and yet was. Their very recent conversation during which Dewshine had reminded him that even if she didn’t come back, he would still have a family; a lifemate and a cub. However, he couldn’t. He couldn’t just let her die, for that very conversation had ended with a gift bigger than anyone he had ever dared dreaming about receiving, with the three of them bonding together closer than they had ever been. She wasn’t just ‘Dewshine’ anymore.

*Jial.*   

Tyleet’s sending reached him from below, and he turned towards where she stood; with a hand on her belly and tears in her eyes.

*Sohn?*

*Lree is dying! Go get her, Jial, she needs you. It’s true that if she doesn’t come back, we’ll still have each other and the cub. But we won’t have her, and so our family would be a little less right.*

Yes. He would go and bring her back, and when all this was over, the three of them would raise their cub together. He was soul-bond to both of them, and they were bound to each other, by Recognition, and by choice, but most importantly by love.

(Yeah, just decided to re-post some of my old stuff from the Scroll. Prepare for a lot of double-posting!)

"You Knew!"

Sorrow's End was buzzing with exitement. Everyone talking about the big news of the day; The Twins! The revelation that Leetah had been carrying two children for the past two seasons had been met with amazement by all the members of either tribe.

Vurdah, busy helping with the preparations for that night's celebrations, looked up to where the proud parents were sitting side-by-side, each with a tiny bundle, and each with a peculiar amused look on their face.

Suddenly Vurdah remembered what the healer had told her almost two seasons ago, "I promise you may share in my babies' care." Leetah had told her. Looking up at the healer and her Wolf chief lifemate realization hit Vurdah like lightning from a clear sky.

"You knew!" She yelled. "You knew all the time."

"Of course we knew." Leetah replied, winking at the other girl. "I'm a healer, and the mother. Cutter and I just decided to give everyone a little surprise."

"And so you did." Said Savah with a laugh. "So you did."

Sight Grows Stronger as Darkness Comes

It was fascinating, the Daystar. Strange how it could be both what kept them alive, made their grops grow, and transformed the Cold dark desert night into the brightest day, but at the same time be able to take all their lives away if it shone for too long.
He could stand for hours near the edge of the Bridge of Destiny, starring up at the bright Daystar, contemplating what it was, and that was exactly what he was doing that day.

He had made his usual climp up to the Bridge in order to greet the raising sun, something he'd been doing ever since he first learned to run quick enough to get away from his parents, nobody - not even himself - understood why he was so fascinated by the Daystar, but he was. It was his 'thing', just like rockshaping had been Alekah's 'thing'. He could still remember the day, so very long ago, when she had made the sun symbol.

"Hello there, isn't it our little Daystar greeter?" A voice suddenly sounded behind him and Anatim, knowing very well that he was disobeying his parents - again - quickly turned to make some excuse. To his surprise the speaker was Alekah, the granddaughter of Savah, and Someone he'd long had a crush on, even though she had already recognized and her son was actually older than Anatim himself.
"Yeah..." He muttered, unable to say anything else.
Alekah smiled at him before she, to his great shock an amazement, began slowly crossing the Bridge. When she reached the other end she carefully began using her rockshaping powers to create something on the rockface.
"Do you like it?" She asked upon returning.
He could only not, completely silenced by amazement, her creating, a beautiful replica of the daystar, was sitting on the wall at the other end of the Bridge. The real Daystar on the other hand...
"Look." Alekah said, "It's light already. I'm sorry I distracted you from doing what you love the best, but now I think I better get you back to your parents."
She took his hand and together they walk back towards the village.

That had been a long time ago, Alekah had died several years ago - everyone in the village had mourned her passing - and her son now had a son of his own, a little rascal named Tekshu.
As Anatim thought about those events of a time long ago - completely forgetting everything around him - he began to notice some weird dark spots in his eyes. Rubbing them - his eyes that is - he quickly looked across the Bridge of Destiny towards Alekah's symbol, to his great shock instead of seeing the symbol as clear as he usually did all he saw was some smudged forms, no matter where he looked it was the same.
Starting to get scared, especially as he quickly noticed how his eyesight seemed to get worse and worse by every moment, he quickly made his way back to the village - falling several times on his way Down - and ran to Shireesh's hut.
"Anatim, what's the matter?" the elder woman said as he stumpled into her hut.
"I... I can't see!" He replied, still out of breath from his run.
"Have you been starring at the Daystar again?" Shireesh asked, her tone halfway between worried and reproachfully.
Ashamed, knowing that his current problem was his own fault, Anatim nodded.
"What have I told you about starring at the Daystar for too long?"
"I was thinking..." He muttered, realising, even as he said it, how stupid it sounded. Shireesh didn't say anything, but suddenly he could hear someone giggling in the corner.
"You were thinking?" Said the familiar voice of Toorah who, despite the fact that he'd at first seen her as an annoying tag-along, had quickly become his best friend.
"I'm sorry, Anatim, but most of us are perfectly able to think without starring at the Daystar, ruining our eyes."
"And ruined I'm afraid your eyes are indeed." Shireesh said, "I have no remedies to help restore what the Daystar has taken."
Suddenly his fear was gone and he smiled, realising something; just as the Daystar was his 'thing' and rockshaping had been Alekah's 'thing', the use of herbs and salves to heal was Shireesh' 'thing', and something told him that it was becoming Toorah's 'thing' too, why else would she spend so much time in the elder woman's hut?
Maybe losing his ability to see had somehow given him the power to see what other people's 'things' were.

Everything Fades

"Woodlock, Rainsong. Are you not well? You know, we could wake up your son from his sleep. Surely he could help."

"No, Ruffel. Mender cannot help us, and neither could Leetah, if she had been here." Rainsong replied with a smile. "Woodlock and I are simply old, and nearing the end of our lives."

"WHAT?" Ruffel all but yelled, before sitting down in front of the elderly Wolfrider-turned-Sunfolk couple where they sat in their usual spot outside their hut. "You're nowhere near as old as Savah!"

"Ah, but Ruffel. You must remember that Savah is not a Wolfrider." Woodlock added, smiling like his lifemate. "All Wolfriders have a bit of wolfblood in our veins, making us mortal."

"So..." Ruffel began, the thought being completely alien to her. "You go through life, knowing that one day you'll die, no matter what. Doesn't that frighten you?"

"Why would it?" Wing, coming by with carrying some berries (not dreamberries, thought) he knew his parents particularily loved, asked. "All we feel, every single day of our lives, is the feeling of being alive."

"Look! Grandpa! I got it!" Bowki, Wing's young grandson, suddenly came up to them and said, proudly holding a bit ravvit in his hands.

"That's good!" Wing said, ruffling the boy's hair, making it (almost) as wild as his father's. "You have some hunting skills from your sire's side of the family, that's for sure."

Smiling proudly the boy tossed the ravvit into his great-grandfather's hands before running off to find his friends.

"Does he know, about being mortal?" Ruffel asked, but then quickly continued, "No. You're right, it doesn't matter. Even if he knows, he's happy!" Smiling she got up to join her friends - and lovemates - leaving the Wolfrider-turned-Sunfolk family behind.

When Wing, who said long with his parents, sharing Bowki's catch with them, got up Woodlock called after him as he walked away:

"Remember to keep up the counting."

"I will, father. I will." He replied, knowing full well what his father's parting message meant.

True enought, the next morning, as she was going to fetch Water, Ruffel found them, sitting side by side, the bones from their last meal still scattered around them, their hands locked togehter.
The entire village mourned their passing, then they took the bodies and carried them into the Mountains surrounding Sorrow's End, knowing that though the couple had lived as Sunfolk for the larger part of their lives, they were still Wolfriders and this was The Way.

Eyes Meet Eyes - Again!

It was a calm and beautiful day in the Sun Village.
As calm as a day can ever be with a pair of curious, active twins around. Af first little Ember had caused quite a stir by running off to the wolf dens, until Cutter and Leetah laughting had explained that it was completely natural for Wolfrider cubs to spend time in the dens.
Ember's twinbrother, seemingly deciding that his sister shouldn't be the only one getting into trouble, had ran off to the Bridge of Destiny, giggling at what he called his "tickly feel". The worried parents, grinning a little that it for once was their calm son who caused the biggest amount of trouble, had caught their wayward son and now he was sitting in Savah's hut, laughing every time she made the light behind her chair glow.

With both their over-active three-year olds kept as much out of trouble as possible, Leetah and Cutter left Savah's hut and almost ran into Newstar. The young elf girl was starring at her parents, who in turn were starring at each other. However, Newstar wasn't the only one starring at the pair, in fact everyone around seemed to be starring at them.

"What's... up with mum and dad?" Newstar asked.
"I think..." Leetah begun uncertain, then she continued with more certainity as she realized that her suspicion was indeed true. "They just recognized!"

Her Words caused the Village, which had turned very quiet as everyone starred at the pair, to errupt into shocked talk:

"Recognized? But..."
"Their son, Wing! He's still so little!"
"Newstar too!"
"Three recognitions in such short time?!"
"Has this ever..."

The talk went on for a while, until Pike suddenly spoke out over the crowd.

"You know, sister." He said, clearly struggling to keep the laughter away. "The cub won't make itself simply by you two starring at each other like that!"

That comment seemed to pull the lifemates out of their trance, laughting Woodlock grapped Rainsong and dragged her off to their hut, while everyone behind started laughing.