Behind the Father Tree
As you walk around the Father Tree, you come upon a large patch of ground that has been cleared
away and covered over with leaves. It looks to have been perhaps a garden, something Redlance
might have had a hand in creating and is now allowed to lie fallow, in anticipation of the
coming white cold. A tiny opening leads into the back of the Father Tree, though it is now
covered with dry and crunchy leaves. Off to the north-east lies another large tree, small in
comparison to the Father Tree, but quite large enough to house many elves. It is a cool autumn
evening. You hear hushed noises as the holt slowly comes to life as elves and wolves awaken from
their daytime slumber.
Contents:
Yun
Obvious exits:
Path<S>  Den Tree<NE>  Woods<W>  Father Tree<FT>  Around the Tree<SE>  
Please type 'losthelp' for commands you may use in this territory.

Yun walks around from the front of the Father Tree.
Yun says "Hey, Fawn."

Flashfire turns around to wave at Yun. "Heya." He's standing around on one of the roots,
balancing on it.

Yun watches and shakes her head. "what you doing?"

"Balancing on this root.." Flashfire explains, doing just that. He lifts a leg, balancing on
one bare foot now.

Yun sighs. "Why?"

Flashfire shrugs, pausing to balance stiffly and rigidly. "Why not?"

Yun nods and climbs up on a limb.

"How're you doing?" Flashfire asks, relaxing to shift his balancing act to the other foot, this
time.

Yun shrugs and gives a grunting reply.

Flashfire holds his place for about half a minute, then hops to the ground. "That good, huh?"
He grins up at you on the limb.

Yun sends openly ** Yea, that good. **

Flashfire nods, and says, "I was just about to go around the other side of the tree when you
came. I wanna see if anyone's around."

Yun says "I didn't see anyone."

"Oh.." Well, maybe someone'll be there now. Maybe not. Flashfire bites his lip. He stays here.

Yun narrows her eyes and looks at him.

Flashfire stares back up at Yun, a smile creeping to his lips. "What?"

Yun says "What what?"

Flashfire asks, "What're you looking at me like that for?" He grins a bit.

Yun says "Just wondering."
Yun rolls eyes at Flashfire and shakes her head.

Ember walks over from the secondary den tree.

Flashfire glances back up at Yun, and shrugs, going back to balancing on the root he was on
earlier.

Yun hops down from her vigil in the tree to the clearing.

Ember comes out of the den tree, stretching. ** Hello. **

Yun sends openly ** It's good to see you around again, Ember. **

Flashfire turns on the root, balancing once more on the ball of a bare foot. He turns his head
at Ember's greeting, and waves. "Hiya!" He subsequently loses his balance and hops to the ground.

Ember flinches at Flashfire tumbles. ** Careful, ** she suggests. "Hi, Yun."

Yun shakes her head at Flashfire, again, and smirks. "How was your trip back?"

Ember says "Me?"

Yun nods.

Ember ahs. "It was ... long. I spent a lot of time in the desert."

Flashfire didn't fall, really! He was just on a root, and hopped off. He smiles to Yun and
Ember, and shrugs, standing by to listen to Ember talking about her time away.

Yun says "Well, it's good to see you here at any rate. Welcome home... even if it were a
tempestuous one."

Ember lifts her chin, looking away briefly. "I'm glad to be home," she says.

Yun looks at Flashfire and begins to chuckle.

"Is everything all right after that challenge you had?" Flashfire asks Ember, showing a bit of
concern. Of course he missed it, but he heard what happened. He glances at Yun momentarily as
she chuckles.

Yun clears her throat and raises her head to inspect the canopy, a grin-of-past-mischief still
lining her face.

Ember smiles at Flashfire, and nods. "It's over and forgotten," she promises him.

Flashfire nods to Ember, realizing this to be true. "Of course. I was just curious because I
couldn't, ah, see it." He shifts his weight from one foot to the other. Preservers. Bah.

Yun makes a snorfling-coughing noise and paces a little, smiling at Flashfire.

Ember laughs. "Preservers," she agrees. "Noisy little bugs."

Flashfire's eyes snap to Yun and he sticks his tongue out at her. "That was /your/ fault, you
know!" He makes a face at Yun and turns back to Ember. "I don't like 'em." he decides.

Ember, dryly, says, "A Challenge isn't for the spectators."

Yun nods at Flashfire. "I know it's my fault, fawn. However, I didn't mean for it to get that
far... and then other things went on that had precedence over my little joke." She rubs her nose
once and looks sincere. "I am sorry."

Flashfire smiles with a look of understanding given to Ember, for he has seen challenges at one
time or another. He looks back at Yun, a wide grin breaking out. "That's all right...'cause I
gotcha back already."

Yun blinks. "What did you do?"

"Oh...just stuck a fish down your back while you were asleep.." Flashfire continues to grin as
he explains what he did to Yun the other evening.

Grey eyes widen then narrow as she listens. Yun can't help herself, however, and begins to
laugh at the good joke that made. "A regular tricker... to bad it didn't work out the way you
wanted to."

Flashfire shrugs to Yun, and decides, "At least we're even now." Even if Yun's prank wound up
being the better one. "I bet that smell's still on your clothes, too."

Yun shrugs. Hunt smells aren't anything new to her clothing.

Flashfire remembers Ember's still here, and he says to her, "So you're Suntop's brother."
They've got the skin, for one thing.

Ember looks up from listening, with a quiet smile. "Aye. Twins."

Twins. Flashfire's never seen any twins before. In fact, nobody's ever really even explained
what twins are to him. "Uhm..what're twins?"

Yun smiles and looks to Ember.

Ember laughs, and sits down, folding her legs up under her. "Twins are two elves born at the
same time, of the same womb. They don't happen very often."

Flashfire ahhhs, a flash of understanding showing on his face. "I see. You're really close, I
bet." Even more than he can probably fathom.

Ember nods. "Very close. If I concentrate, I can sense Suntop no matter where he is, no matter
how far apart we are."

Yun rubs her nose again.

The fuzzy cub blinks at that, looking about as much in awe as an elf could. Flashfire sits down
now, as well, smoothing out some of the unnatural fuzz on his stomach. Unnatural only because he
wasn't born with it. "I hope your mother can heal him..if he wants it."

Ember hesitates, and lets the comment slide. "I don't know what he wants," she says after a
moment.

Flashfire nods in understanding, and murmurs, "I think I wanna be how I..." He pauses. "That
is.." Another pause, longer than the first. "I dunno what I want..this, or how I used to be."

Yun says "You were a wolfy cub..."

Flashfire asks, simply. "Were?"

Yun shrugs. "You're getting older."

Ember falls silent again, listening.

It's rather a backhanded compliment, but Yun means well by it.

"But none of this would've happened if I wasn't stupid and did something to make them take me
to the mountain with Suntop and then have Winnowill change me.." Flashfire blurts, not following
Yun completely.

Yun says "Well, I'm not saying you weren't stupid, but you've done some growing up since
then... don't you think?"

Flashfire stops the smoothing out of his fur, and blinks at Yun. "You really think so?"

Yun looks annoyed at him even asking that. **Yes.**

"Oh." Flashfire answers, knowing the send to be true. He smiles again after only a moment, glad
that someone thinks he's maturing. "Thanks. I mean it."

Yun grunts something in reply.

Well, in that case, Flashfire growls playfully at Yun.

Yun sighs.

Flashfire might be more the wolf cub than he thinks, as Yun called him. He stops at her sigh,
and tilts his head to a side.

Yun starts a send.
Yun notes Flashfire's movements and kneels to pick up a piece of fallen limb. She teases him
with it - to see what might happen.
Yun gives a knowing look to Ember. Then a quick, distinct nod.

Flashfire blinks, and tries to grab the thing away from Yun, with a hand.

Yun chuckles. "Well, that's that."

"What's what?" comes the question that might've been expected from the cub. Again, he reaches.

Yun smiles maddeningly at Flashfire and doesn't say a thing.
Yun steps back and sits on one of the high exposed roots.

Flashfire frowns as Yun smiles, and he just goes about ignoring her teasing.
Flashfire glances back towards Ember, wondering what she's up to. For all he knows she might've
slipped away silently.

Ember sits with her chin on her knees, eyes almost closed. You'd have to ask to find out what
she's doing.

Anyone else might leave Ember to do what she's doing, but Flashfire's a cub. Of course he's
going to ask. "Whatcha doin', Ember?" He looks towards her with those wide, curious eyes of his.

Ember's sea-blue eyes open entirely, and she smiles. "Feeling the holt," she says, a little
sheepishly. "Remembering scents, and sounds. I've been away a long time."

"I think everyone's happy you're here," Flashfire answers, sitting mostly still. He finds an
arrow in his quiver to turn over in his hands, just to do something, and he adds, "I like it
here too."

Ember nods. "I'm happy to be home. You're a friend of Suntop's?"

<LostHolt> Cutter has wimmin in his den.

Flashfire is, indeed. "Aye, he sent to me after they messed up Treestump's head and he couldn't
send for awhile. That was when we were in the Underground. Then when we got out, Suntop and I
just started doing a lot of things together." Good and bad. An image of the cub (without fur)
and Suntop mock-fighting - Flashfire with a loaf of bread and Suntop with a skewer - is shared.

<LostHolt> Ember could bring Silk up. :)
<LostHolt> Flashfire laughs.
<LostHolt> Ember, brightly, says, "You could try to get her pregnant again!"
<LostHolt> Cutter coughs.
<LostHolt> Ember says "Ooops. :)"
<LostHolt> Flashfire says "Oops, indeed."
<LostHolt> Leetah peers at Ember.
<LostHolt> Ember says "Nothing! Nothing! NOOOOOTHing."
<LostHolt> Nightfall says "And I thought my crack was dubious. :)"
<LostHolt> Flashfire giggles.

Ember smiles, quick and bright, at the sending.

<LostHolt> Ember realizes, in horror, that she is mere weeks away from having played Ember for
*5* *years*.

Flashfire remembers something about that particular image, and explains. "Oh..that's how I used
to look." His hair's the distinguishing thing about it. "We were gonna come here with Treestump,
but Yun got invited to the Go-Back lodge and we went with her instead."
 
Ember nods. ** I thought it must be you, yes. **

Flashfire mmhmms. He supposes he's all right as he is, though he just has to /accept/ it as
what is Now. Too much confusion in What Was. "Well, I'm not the same as I was, anyway."

Ember, thoughtfully, says, "I don't think any of us are."

Yun mumbles something.

Ember says "What, Yun?"

Flashfire's head bobs in a nod. True enough. "Aye, of course." He, too, wonders what Yun's
mumbling about.

Yun says "I was just agreeing with Flashfire about changes..." She mumbles the end of that
also. "Suntop will get by."

Ember looks up at Yun, briefly. "I haven't seen him today. Is he around?"

Flashfire seems a bit interested that Yun actually agreed with him about something, but he
doesn't pursue it. "I think he went somewhere to be alone, around here." he says to Ember.

Yun takes a breath. "He went off to a private spot to concentrate. Noises and smells distract
him now, and add the normal noise of the holt..." The normal whisper-quiet noises of the holt.

Ember, after several moments, says, "What did she /do/ to him?"

Yun says "She gave him his wolfblood, as far as I can tell."

Ember shakes her head a little. "I don't understand how that can be done. If it can be done,
why did no one give Windkin /his/ wolfblood back?"

Flashfire thinks he can help answer that, as he ventured into the dangerous snow country when
Suntop had been missing for nearly an eight of days - he thinks it was that long. "Aye..she made
him more like you and me."

Ember turns to look at Flashfire, blue eyes curious. "How?"

Yun shakes her head. "I have my ideas, but only the blacksnake knows for sure... and perhaps
Suntop if he looks hard enough into himself."

"I..don't know how she does things." Flashfire admits, his yellow eyes meeting Ember's for a
moment. "I don't know how she made me like this, either."

You notice Ember looking at you.

Ember nods slowly.

Yun looks at Ember intently. **He'll need your guidance.**

"I told him I'd try to help him if I could, too." Flashfire adds to what Yun sends. It's all he
can do after how good a friend Suntop's been.

Ember smiles at Flashfire, and nods to Yun.
Ember frowns, looking up into the Father Tree.

Yun leans back against the tree and falls into her own disturbing thoughts.

<LostHolt> Yun says "Goodnight and don't let the skeeters bite."

Flashfire's eyes follow Ember's, as he notices her looking towards the tree. "Someone looking
for you?"

Yun has disconnected.

"No. A disagreement with Leetah." She frowns again.

Flashfire bites his lower lip gently, frowning more because Ember does, because he doesn't know
what the disagreement is about. "Oh." Of course, he hopes all will be well, but there's little
he sees himself able to do about it.

Ember curses, under her breath.

Flashfire quickly acts like his arrow is the most important thing on Abode.

Ember notices the motion, and manages half a smile. "Eh, lad, it's not you I'm mad at."

Flashfire looks back up at Ember from his seated position, with those large eyes. "I know..I
just dunno what to do. I want everyone to just all be friends."

Ember's gaze snaps down from the tree to you, anger flashing in her eyes. It's a few seconds
before it fades, and she brushes her hand before her face. "So do I," she says after a moment.

Flashfire blinks suddenly, discomforted at the look of anger he sees. He can't help but look
somewhat intimidated until the anger passes, and he sends meekly, ** Something's not right, is
it.. **

Ember's words are clipped and angry, though it's not directed at you. "What's done to the blood
cannot be undone, perhaps. Wolf blood taken away cannot be put back in. But what's done to the
/flesh/ can be undone: it's only physical."
Ember growls, "She's /afraid/."

"Physical? What happened to Suntop?" Flashfire asks. He's not so sure. As for him, it would
seem physical at first glance, but when he's gotten angered lately, things have been harder to
control. For what it's worth, he admits, "I would be, too..and I am."

"To Cutter." Suntop is an issue Ember is not yet prepared to deal with. She looks at you, and
then her face softens. "I think you're brave," she says.

"To Cutter?" Flashfire repeats, the words said questioningly this time. "He didn't used to be
that tall..?" He looks confused until it dawns upon him that Winnowill must be very active in
her evil. He relaxes as Ember's face softens, and he beams with pride. "Thanks!"

"He was a little taller than I am," Ember explains, and then she nods. "You are. I think I
understand why Suntop is fond of you."

Flashfire ohs, nodding in understanding to Ember. It's clear to him now that Cutter was
changed, too. Made taller! That's something the youth would have trouble handling, being
Glider-tall. He smiles genuinely after you finish, and he says, "I wouldn't mind if you wanted
to explain how. I think he's my best friend."

Ember quirks a smile. "Any contact with Winnowill is hard on an elf," she explains, seriously.
"I've never seen anyone who came away unchanged." She shivers. "I know I didn't. If you have the
strength to stand tall after she's touched you, then there is something very deep," and she
touches herself on the breastbone, "within you that is very powerful. Suntop sees into people's
hearts well. He would see that in you."

Flashfire listens with as much attention as he's ever paid another elf, as Ember's reasoning is
explained. He still shivers as the words are said, for he is still very afraid of the Black
Snake and her touch, seeing how easily he was changed. "I think I can handle it better because
I'm still myself, in here." He touches his chest, too. This, despite the mood changes that
sometimes surface. "I'm just trying to be strong, because if I'm not then she'll win." He
realizes this, even at such a young age. But if he never sees Winnowill again, it won't bother
him in the least.

Ember's smile is soft. "It took me a very long time to realize that."

"Well, I look at you and you look real strong to me," Flashfire admits, rubbing behind an ear
as he says it, the classic sheepish look over his features.

Ember nods. "I am again, finally. But it took many turns of the seasons. I spent nearly as many
turns as you've seen living wild, like a packless wolf, and more years fading in and out of
company. It was hard to come home."

Flashfire looks at you with interest, now that you tell him that, and he actually knows a bit
of what you're talking about. "I lost my parents a long time ago and was alone, too. Then
Briarholt found me and I stayed there for awhile, and we went to that Festival in the Sun
Village and then all that stuff happened in the Underworld and you know about everything after I
met Suntop."

Ember blinks, and smiles. "So you've no pack?" she asks.

Flashfire shakes his head. "Not really."

Ember inclines her head. "I hope you'll feel welcome here, then."

"Thanks. I like it here, too." Flashfire smiles wide, pointing above him. "There's lots of
trees to climb."

Ember glances up, and smiles. "Yes. A hundred years ago, this had all burned down."

Flashfire actually knows, and he nods. "I heard about that." Though, he doesn't remember just
who it was that told him. Probably Treestump, during one of their many talks in the darkness of
the Underworld. "It looks like it never happened, now."

Ember nods. "Redlance has made a lot of things grow."

"Is he a...?" Flashfire leaves it unfinished, searching for the word he wants.

Ember lifts an eyebrow. "Treeshaper?"

Flashfire was thinking of something else. "Uhm..no..it was..a plantshaper. That's it." He
remembers the word, with Ember's assistance.

Ember smiles, and nods. "He is. A very good one."

"My mother's name was PlantShaper." Flashfire explains. A very..original one. "That helped me
remember, too. Did Redlance make all this grow back?"

Ember shakes her head. "Father says it was growing before they came back, but he helped it.
Made everything stronger and bigger, so we could live here again."

Flashfire nods, pointing up at the Father Tree above him. "I never saw a tree so big." That in
itself tells him Redlance is pretty good at what he does.

Ember leans back to look up at it. "It used to be bigger, Father says. Before the holt burned,
it held all the elves of the holt. Now we use two."

Flashfire's eyes widen as he tries to picture how the tree must've looked before. It's enough
to get him to start leaning back, and sure enough, he falls out of his sitting position, to land
on his back. "Whoops. That's pretty big."

Ember chuckles. "Comfortable?"

Flashfire moves his arms behind his head, "Actually, I am." He grins, well, like a cub.

Ember smiles, first at you, and then up at the tree, with a nod.

Time for a sudden question. "How long have you and Suntop been around for?" He shifts to lie on
his side.

Ember blinks. "You mean how old are we?"

Flashfire nods.

Ember shakes her head a little. "So many years gone...I think we're about a hundred turns."

Even that seems old to Flashfire. He nods, and begins counting off the turns, eyes rolling
upwards. Finally, he declares, "I'll be four whole hands soon."

Ember grins. "Old enough to no longer be a cub, eh?"

"Is that right?" If so, Flashfire's going to like being sixteen. He likes being thought of as
older and more mature.

Ember grins. "I thought so when I was that age. They still call me cub, though."

Flashfire hopes it's just out of teasing. "I don't think you're a cub, no matter what they say.
But if you think I'm not, I won't challenge you." Another grin.

Ember thinks it's out of habit. She grins back. "I know I wanted to be treated like an adult.
I'll try to do that with you. You seem to deserve it."

"Thanks." Flashfire answers, taking the words seriously. First time someone's suggested he
deserves to be treated older. Now, he'll try to prove he's earned it. "It means a lot to me."
Despite that, he still misses one part of what's good about being a cub - having parents close.
This is kept locked away.

You sense in a locksend, Ember's sending is a sudden ruffle of affection, the mental equivalent
of a smile and a hug.

Flashfire blinks at you once, and breaks into a grin.

You locksend to Ember, Flashfire returns it, happily. <<contentedness>>

(We both decided to call it a night here, since it seemed like a good time for it.  We do
sleep.  Sometimes.)