Synopsis:  Lots of stuff here.  What starts out innocently enough
 becomes something terribly serious.  It begins with Ember giving
 Flashfire a lesson in hunting and tracking, while playing a game of tag
 in the process.  After finishing, Minx returns to Lostholt, and Cutter
 wanders out to help greet her. Shortly, Minx takes her leave, and both
 Ember and Flashfire start up their game again, this time including
 Cutter.  Afterwards, they're visited by a trio of elves - Malandor of
 the Underworld, Jaylorra of the Underworld and formerly of the surface, 
 and their child, Gwydion - all invited (some more reluctantly than
 others) by Treestump.  This leads to a tense situation, ending in a
 tough decision.  For ease of readability, this log is in two parts: 
 Play, and Visit.  The first part ends just before the Underworlders
 arrive.

Players:  Flashfire (logger), Ember, Minx, Cutter, Leetah, Malandor,
 Jaylorra, Gwydion, Treestump, Tyleet, and Yun (I think that was
 everyone).  Logged 7/19/98.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Ember walks around from behind the Father Tree.
Ember pads around the tree, and smiles. "Hello, Flashfire."

Things are mostly quiet around the Father Tree, with most of the elves
 doing who knows what.  Flashfire's stuck around, though, and currently,
 he's busy climbing trees, visible on a low branch as Ember comes
 around. "Hiya!" he calls down, waving.

Ember grins, leaning back to look up. ** Tag, ** she sends thoughtfully,
 and leaps up to a nearby branch, then pounces across several to thump
 Flashfire on the shoulder, soundly. ** You're it! ** She darts away,
 grinning.

Flashfire blinkblinks, momentarily taken aback at Ember's actions, until
 he figures out the game. "Oooh." He begins to follow in hot pursuit,
 hopping across the open spaces between limbs, grabbing onto others as
 he moves. "I'm gonna get you!"

Ember laughs, and leaps higher into the tree, narrowly judging distances
 from branch to branch. ** Shh! ** she warns. ** You'll never catch your
 prey making all that noise! ** In an instant, the brown-and-red elf has
 disappeared into the branches, going quite still to let the leaves
 settle and hide her.

Flashfire ahhs, having forgotten about sending in his sudden excitement.
 ** Oops. ** he answers, and tries to file that suggestion away. Sure,
 he can be quiet when he needs to be, but being the youth he is, it's
 not the first thing on his mind. . o O (Now where did she go?) he
 thinks, as he reaches branches and limbs Ember had crossed moments
 earlier. She's quicker than he is, and able to hide herself from sight.
 A few branches down and to her right, Flashfire pauses, his eyes making
 a slow sweep of the tree.

** Use your nose, ** Ember suggests, and then she bounces higher into
 the tree again, a flash of white and shaking branches giving her trail
 for a few seconds.

The not-quite-adult cub should've been using his nose to begin with, and
 he grumbles for forgetting /that/ one, too. ** Aye. ** he answers,
 though it's his eyes that first notice Ember's movement again. Allowing
 his nose to follow her scent, he begins to pursue her once more,
 concentrating.

Eh. He's had no pack to teach him, and for all of Suntop's skills,
 hunting the Wolfrider way isn't one of them. Ember's send is a general
 wash of approval, and she waits until she's all but found before
 rotating upside-down on the branch she's on, to put her face inches
 from Flashfire's, shout, "Boo!" and then swing over his head and pounce
 down  the tree again.

Despite having no pack, Flashfire's tried to learn things on his own.
 For a time, he /had/ to in order to feed himself. But whatever he
 knows, it's not much, and untrained. Approaching Ember, he yipes as she
 swings down and surprises him, slipping down a level of branches,
 though he catches one and turns to see Ember retreating from him. **
 Hey! ** Again, he trails after her.

Ember throws a grin over her shoulder, and once more hides herself in
 the branches, going absolutely still in the fashion that only a
 frightened animal could.

Flashfire loses sight of his 'quarry' once again, and this time he
 remembers what Ember told him moments earlier. He checks the air,
 trying to catch a whiff of her scent as he crouches on a branch.

It's there, fresher in the higher branches than the ones you've just
 followed her to.

Flashfire's amber eyes blink twice, and his head lifts towards the
 higher branches again.  With the scent stronger that way, he trusts his
 nose and begins to climb higher.

There's no shaking branches this time to indicate Ember's movement, but
 there's suddenly a place where her scent is stronger, though she's no
 longer there. Where she rested, perhaps, watching and waiting. It's a
 solid trail of scent that leads off around the tree; no breaks
 from jumping from one branch to another, now.

A look of confusion runs over the youth's face, as he finds where Ember 
 /should/ be, only the spot's empty. ** You're good.. ** he comments,
 again beginning to follow her scent where it leads..seeming to stick to
 the one tree. He keeps on his toes, listening for any signs of an
 Ember-prey.

The trail dead-ends abruptly, only the faintest scent of Ember hanging
 in the air. ** I should be, ** her sending comes from somewhere. **
 I've had a lot of practice. **

** I see. ** Flashfire answers. Figuratively, of course, opposed to
 seeing with his eyes. He frowns as frustration replaces his formerly
 confused expression, looking high and low at Ember's send. . o O (Where
 /are/ you?) Thrown completely off at the lack of a scent-trail where he
 now is, he turns a full circle, trying to start anew.

Looking high -- if he looks high enough -- will do it. There's not
 another branch for some three elf-heights straight up, at least not one
 big enough to bear the weight of a full-grown elf. Ember's lying on it,
 belly-down, peering around it to watch the top of Flashfire's head.

Being less than full-grown, Flashfire could scale those branches up
 around Ember's location - if he was aware she was there. A passing
 glance up that way shows the limbs to him, and he doesn't immediately
 think Ember might be hiding up there. Nothing further down seems to
 suggest she's waiting for him there, however. His head begins to tilt
 back again, eyes following the trunk higher...

Ember waits, peeking over the branch.

** Aha! ** the boy's send ripples with premature triumph, as he sights
 the perched Ember.  He's got her, now he's just got to get up and tag
 her. Hands and feet begin to propel him up closer, using the limbs as
 always. Quick and nimble, he closes the gap, wasting no time.

Ember laughs, waiting until the last possible moment, and then she rolls
 off the far side of the branch. Actually rolls. And falls, some twenty
 feet, to land on another enormous branch, not too far from the ground.

Flashfire swipes at Ember with an outstretched hand, coming oh so close
 to tagging her.  That's not right! He clings to the branch Ember was
 /just/ on, watching her drop. He emits a sharp, quick sound of
 frustration, and decides to mimic Ember's actions, dropping down
 towards her himself.

Ember squinches up her face, moving just enough to not be landed on, to
 watch the fall with concern. Twenty feet is not a short drop, and she'd
 rather be sure the cub will be all right.

Flashfire wouldn't have taken the plunge if he didn't think he could
 make it. Even still, twenty feet /is/ a fall. He stays loose, actually
 successful in his landing, though he cannot keep his balance. This
 results in him waving his arms and slipping down further, falling a
 distance roughly equal to his height, where he grabs hold of another
 branch, just hanging around. ** Aww, puckernuts. ** He didn't get the
 tag. Yet.

Ember laughs. ** Well done, though, ** she compliments him, and then
 bounces away, playing less the hunt now, and more the game. No more
 hiding, just running away.

Game, hunt, it makes little difference to Flashfire now. He's learning
 and having fun doing it, making it worthwhile. ** I'm not done yet. **
 he suggests, pulling himself back up before chasing after Ember once
 more. He won't give up on this.

The game goes from branch to branch, around the tree and back again,
 until Ember cleverly doubles back, only to discover Flashfire hasn't
 gone as far as she thinks he has. Arms wheeling, she tries to back up,
 laughing.

Perhaps Flashfire caught on to that doubling back tactic, too. Perhaps
 he just lucked out.  Either way, there's Ember. /Right/ there. A grin
 spreads, and instead of merely trying to thwap her shoulder back, he
 speaks aloud. "Ayooooah! Gotcha now!" He leaps at her, like a pounce.
 In the tree. At least the pair of them are low enough that if they
 fall, they'll land on the soft earth below.

Ember reels, then tumbles to the ground, laughter accompanied by an
 "*Ooof*!"

Flashfire falls along with Ember, thudding on his back, a matching
 "*Ooof!*" from him. Short of breath and stunned, he lies there for the
 moment, before coughing. Still his victory is known.
 "Ha..*kaff*..you're it.."

"I'm it." Ember lies there, never-the-less, still panting and giggling.

Flashfire doesn't go anywhere yet either, also panting and laughing
 softly as he catches his breath, all sprawled out on the ground. "That
 was fun..and I learned to be quieter and use my nose more, too."
 Something might also be said for checking things thoroughly for his
 quarry.

Ember waves her hand at the sky. ** And look up. Humans never look up,
 but elves don't often either. **

** And look up. ** Flashfire agrees, doing just that, again. He blinks
 at the two moons showing in the darkening sky, seeing the stars along
 with them. ** You're right..I never really looked up. **

Ember smiles. "Ask Skywise to show you the pictures he sees in the stars
 sometime."

Flashfire mmhmms, blinking up at the strange mixture of stars in the
 sky, making no sense of them ** Aye..haven't talked to him much yet. **
 He quiets, moving his hands beneath his head and bringing his knees up,
 resting comfortably. ** Can you hunt as well as you can hide? **

Ember nods, still looking up at the emerging stars. ** Aye. **

Flashfire grins. ** Maybe sometime you can teach me some more. ** he
 hopes. He'll be eager to apply some of what Ember's already taught him.

Ember grins. ** I'd be glad to. **

Flashfire flat out beams, happy. ** Thanks! ** he answers, though
 there's enough in the send for nothing to even be said. He admits, **
 You're as nice as Suntop is. **

Ember laughs aloud. ** Thank you. **

** Did I say something funny? ** Flashfire wonders, as Ember laughs. Not
 that he minds, because he likes hearing others laugh.

Ember shakes her head. "Not really," she explains, still chortling.
 "It's just that I've always admired my twin, and we are very often very
 different, so it made me laugh, that's all."

Flashfire ohs, his head turning to consider Ember for a moment. ** I
 could tell he likes you a lot, too. ** He goes on to say, "I know he
 thinks a lot more, but that's his way, I guess.  He's quieter, too."
 That's about all he knows so far, as mannerisms go.

Ember nods. ** He's always thought more, and has been quieter than I. He
 used to talk me out of doing foolish things, when we were cubs. **

Minx walks out of the Father Tree.
Minx arrives from the west, really.

You notice Minx looking at you.

Minx
----
Minx is young, tall and willowy. Dark brown hair with golden highlights
 falls shaggily down, forsaking her mother's curls, into brilliant gold
 eyes. Her eyes hold a lupine slant, reminding some of her 
 great-grandsire Bearclaw. Her skin is naturally tanned, very lightly,
 evidence of her Sun Villager blood, though she scents and runs with the 
 pack as well as any Wolfrider. The wolf-blood runs strong in this young
 chieftess-to-be.  Her clothing is all tan, gold and brown, helping her
 blend easily into the autumn forest.  Long breeches are tucked into
 high, soft boots, and her jacket is lined warmly with ravvit fur
 around the neck and sleeves.  Light catches her golden lupine eyes with 
 startling brightness, betraying a look of mischief.
Carrying:
Worn bone knife
Bow and arrows
Small Wolfshead Necklace

Flashfire and Ember are lying on the ground beneath one of the trees
 here, chatting and at times, looking towards the sky.

Minx pads towards the holt very quietly, looking a bit nervous, perhaps.

Ember sits upright, abruptly, at a sending, then scrambles to her feet,
 scenting and watching the holt's shadows.
 
Flashfire blinks as Ember rises so suddenly, wondering what's got her
 acting like that so quickly. Better to be safe than sorry, and he
 scrambles to stand as well, tensing.

You locksend ** What is it? ** to Ember.

Ember locksends ** <<tentative hope/joy>> My daughter... **

Minx pauses in the shadows at the edge of the clearing for a moment
 before stepping into it.

You locksend ** <<surprise/relief>> Daughter? ** to Ember.

You sense in a locksend, Ember nods absently.

Minx is a bit travelworn and definitely edgy, but otherwise seems well.
 She glances quickly at the other elves and wolves present. Then, at a
 send, she relaxes slightly and walks over to Ember. ** Thank you. **

Ember, with a wide grin, opens her arms to Minx. ** Cub, ** she 
 half-teases.

Flashfire stands nearby, relaxing as words are exchanged between himself
 and Cutter's daughter, a smile spreading as he sees the one Ember says
 is her own daughter. ** Hiya. ** he greets.

Minx breaks into a similar grin, and falls into Ember's arms to hug her
 happily. ** I'm SO glad to see you again! I've missed you all terribly! **

Ember oofs happily, hugging Minx to her. ** I missed you, too, cub. **
Ember sends openly ** Minx, this is Flashfire, a friend of Suntop's.
 Flashfire, my daughter, Minx. **

So many family reunions here since Flashfire came with Suntop and Yun.
 He continues to smile, though inevitably his thoughts wander to his own
 parents, wherever they may be. He hides whatever he's feeling, instead
 nodding to Minx as Ember introduces him. ** Nice to meet you, Minx. **

Minx looks at Flashfire, blinks a little, then smiles. ** Hello,
 Flashfire. ** She oohs, turning to Ember again. ** Is Suntop here, too? **

Flashfire thinks . o O (She's taller, too..did Winnowill touch her?) He
 looks apprehensive suddenly.

Ember hesitates. ** He is. I haven't talked to him much yet -- I just
 returned. **

You notice Ember looking at you.

Minx sends openly ** I look forward to meeting him. And everybody! **

** Suntop's here, aye. But he's.. ** Flashfire pauses, forced to speak
 aloud. "He's all right, just off somewhere, by himself. Always
 thinking.."

Minx wraps an arm around Ember, loath to let her go yet. ** I saw a
 human, not far away from the holt. Have they returned? **

Ember's expression falls to dismay. ** Not that I know of... **

Flashfire swallows faintly at mention of a five-finger. ** Where? **

Minx points towards the distant lake. ** Up that way. I was... delaying
 entering the holt, and circling around it. Only one. Perhaps it's just
 hunting this way. **

Ember scowls tiredly. ** I hope so. **

Flashfire says nothing, settling for offering a nod. The only human he
 ever saw was near the Mountain, and it was actually. a non-hostile one.

Minx sends openly ** I made sure it didn't follow me. I'm sure
 everything will be fine. ** 
She decides to sit down after a moment of consideration. ** It just
 feels so right, to be here again. **

Ember tilts her head a little. ** What happened, that you left? **
 Ember, remember, has been out of the holt and largely incommunicado
 since Sar's death.

Flashfire sits down, stretching his legs out and propping himself up
 with hands behind his back, listening.

Minx frowns, searching her mind. More a wolfrider than Lhyree, she is
 used to living in the Now rather than the past. "A...quarrel. Over
 what, I can't even remember."

Minx says "It...doesn't matter, anymore. Unless Cutter is still upset."
Minx adds. "I've been with Lhyree, since."

Ember says "How is she?"

Flashfire merely listens.

Minx pauses, considering. "Healthy. But... restless? She has some
 disagreement with the Mountain." She adds thoughtfully. "It's
 disquieting, when you cannot quite call your home your own."

Ember blinks, clearly startled. ** /Lhyree/? A disagreement with the
 Mountain? ** 
Ember lifts her head, looking westwards, eyes longing. ** Do you think
 she would come to us? **

Flashfire blinks towards the west as well, having come from that
 direction with Suntop and Yun...having been inside the place that is
 spoken of, too.

Minx sends openly ** I do not know. She was so restless, settling
 neither at the Palace nor the village. And Lostholt was never really
 her home, as it was mine. I suspect she feels as unwelcome as any of
 the Chosen. **

Ember's shoulders drop a little, and she nods. ** A wishful thought. **

Flashfire's brows scrunch together. "Chosen.." he murmurs.

Ember glances at Flashfire. "My other daughter is Chosen, in the
 Mountain," she explains briefly.

Minx adds quickly. "She isn't, anymore."

Ember says "She isn't?"

Minx says "At least, I don't think so. Winnowill... Something happened,
 and she un-chose all the Chosen. I think."

Ember lets out a breath. ** Winnowill is crazy. **

Flashfire's eyes widen. Ember's got a daughter that is..was..Chosen? He
 blinks multiple times, and nods, without raising any questions.

Minx sends openly ** She is still loyal to the Mountain, though. I
 think... her and Cutter... Maybe Lostholt isn't the best place, yet. **

Ember nods, a sense of sadness in her. ** I would like our family to be
 together, ** she sends softly. ** Though, after Sar ... I don't know if
 it's possible. **

Minx gives Ember a quick hug. ** That's a long time ago. It doesn't
 matter anymore, does it?  Some day, the gliders and the wolfriders
 won't be enemies anymore, I hope. **

"Family /should/ be together.." Flashfire says, looking up from his spot
 on the ground. He knows, though he has none.

Ember returns the hug, with a gentle smile. ** Sar forgave me, in the
 Palace. Someday, it will all be right. **

Minx blinks again, setting golden eyes on Flashfire. "Oh, I almost
 forgot you were here.  Where is your family, quiet one?"
Minx oohs silently at Ember. She has been to the Palace, too! ** I'm
 glad. **

Ember nods. ** As am I. **

Minx looks a lot more cheerful now. Everything is turning out right
 after all.

Flashfire's own yellowish eyes stop on Minx, his shoulders shrugging
 lightly. "Dunno..I lost them a long time ago." Somewhere around when he
 was half his current age, which isn't /that/ long ago.

Minx says "That is sad. Will you stay with us, now? (Already feeling at
 home again, she is.)" 

Flashfire isn't sure what to say to Minx' question. He does like it
 here, and he feels welcome, but past that, he doesn't know what'll
 happen. "I'm not sure..it's nice here, though." It's as peaceful a
 place as he can remember.

Minx. o O ( Furry elf. Now where did I see that before... ) 
Minx says "It is, isn't it?"
Minx smiles happily, looking up at the Father Tree.

Ember nods agreement. "I'd almost forgotten, myself."

Minx says "Is... Skywise here, still?"

Flashfire matches Ember's nod of agreement, smiling at Minx. "Aye, very
 nice here." he confirms. As for that fur, it isn't natural, though
 nothing suggests it isn't.

You sense in a locksend, Minx suddenly remembers. ** Willowholt! Are you
 from there?

You locksend to Minx, Flashfire's answer is a questioning one. **
 Willowholt? No..I've never heard of them. **

Minx locksends ** Trollkiller is even furrier than you, I think. I
 remember them visiting when I was... little, come to think of it. **

You locksend to Minx, Flashfire sends understanding, followed by
 hesitation. ** Furrier..?  Oh..aye. Of course.. ** That he didn't
 immediately recognize what you were talking about might be a sign of
 something.

Minx locksends ** <Dimly remembered image of Trollkiller> It's so long
 ago, I thought you might have been born there since then. **

You locksend ** <<acknowledgement/further understanding>> Oh..uhm..I
 wasn't born like this.. ** to Minx.

Ember, belatedly, answers Minx's question: **Skywise is still here, aye. **

You sense in a locksend, Minx ohs! She seems curious, but doesn't pursue
 it further. All in due time...

You locksend to Minx, Flashfire sends a sense of gratitude at your not
 asking further, but there is also the sense that he'd explain if asked.

Minx smiles quickly to Flashfire, and tells Ember. ** I've missed him,
 too. **

Something causes Flashfire to think about the fur covering him, and he
 begins to smooth out his ruffled stomach.

Ember nods at Minx. "I'm sure he's missed you too, cub."

Minx smiles happily at Ember, and streeetches. ** I look forward to
 meeting everybody again. **

Flashfire grrrs faintly at something, pressing down more of the fur on
 his forearms. . o O (Stay smooth!)

Minx looks over at Flashfire. Mmmm. Teeeempting.
 
Flashfire feels Minx' eyes upon him, and he looks up at her with an
 innocent expression that seems to ask 'Huh?'

Ember slides back down to sit on the ground, pulling Minx down with her,
 and arranges herself comfortably against a root.

Minx makes herself comfy as well, and asks Flashfire. "Want a hand with
 that?"

Flashfire now blinks at Minx, and wonders, "With what?"

Ember chuckles.

Minx smiles at Flashfire. "The, um, fur? I'd be happy to help."

"Oh." Flashfire mouths the word, then says it. "Uhm, sure?" He smiles
 lopsidedly. 

Minx beckons Flashfire over closer. Four hands are better than two,
 anyhow.

Flashfire gets up and paces closer to Minx and Ember, smiling awkwardly.
 He pauses a step from Minx. "Sit?"

Minx nods firmly, and tugs Flashfire down to join the both of them.
 Sitting, that is. 
Minx says "A lot of work for one person, fur. Wolves have each other."

Cutter walks out of the Father Tree.

Minx sets to skitching Flashfire contently. Fur might not get much
 smoother that way, but...

Cutter ducks his head, out of habit, as he drops out of the Father Tree.

Ember is sitting next to Minx, who is skitching and brushing Flashfire,
 who is beside her. ** Hello, Father. **

Minx looks up at the motion, and stops in mid-skitch, mouth dropping
 open.
Minx's hand drops. "C-cutter?"

Flashfire's eyes close as Minx, uh, skitches him. Feels good, at least.
 He blinks as Cutter's appearance interrupts whatever she's doing, and
 he waves, idly.

Cutter straightens, once clear of the tree, to full Glider-height.
 "Ember," he greets in return, with the hint of a smile. "Flashfire," he
 offers the cub. Minx gets his attention, last. A nod, and an answer:
 "Cutter. Yes."

Minx scrambles to her feet, with a questioning look at Ember. Well,
 neither she nor Flashfire seem to find anything out of the ordinary.
Minx looks cautiously at Cutter. "Ah. Um. I'm... back."
Minx takes a small step closer, after another exchanged look with Ember.

Flashfire realizes that this must be the first time Minx has seen Cutter
 the way he is. As for himself, it's the only way he's known the
 chieftain. Ember's already had her encounter. He smiles faintly at
 Minx, watching the exchange.

Cutter nods once in consideration of the maiden. "Skywise will be glad
 to see you."

Minx's expression brightens. ** I've missed him. I've missed you, too.
 Does that mean I can stay? **

Cutter invites, "Stay. Hunt and howl. Decide the rest, later."

Flashfire grins suddenly, liking Cutter's line of thinking. "Aye. Stay,
 Minx!"

Minx looks torn between throwing herself at Cutter in a hug, or showing
 proper deference. 
Finally, the former wins and she grins happily as she steps up and hugs
 him. "I'm home!"

Cutter blinks, twice, at the hug, then he curls an arm around Minx
 shoulders. A sort of satisfaction colors his send. ** My hands touch
 with joy, Minx. **

Minx sends openly ** My eyes see with joy, Cutter. **
Minx grins happily.

Flashfire smiles at the hug being shared, glancing sideways to see how
 Ember views this.

Minx hugs everybody present in turn, then runs off to track down Skywise
 for a proper reunion! 
Minx walks away from the tree, back into the clearing that marks the
 entrance to the Lost Holt.

Flashfire watches Minx off after getting a hug, thinking her to be quite
 a nice elf, indeed.  He smiles. "How are you, Cutter..?"
 
Cutter's eyebrows lift. "I'm.. fine, I think," he answers, after a
 moment's consideration.  "Not sure I'm awake yet."

As Cutter's eyebrows lift, Flashfire's lower. "You look awake to me.."
 There's that grin that follows, then he adds, "I hope Ember and I
 didn't wake you when you were trying to sleep." For they /were/ romping
 around earlier.

Cutter shakes his head. "I don't think that was it."

Flashfire ohs. All is well, then. He nods, and searches for something to
 say. "Well, it's nice to see you again.." He finds the words don't come
 as easily when the chief is around.

Cutter chuckles quietly, as he chooses a place to sit, legs folding like
 a graceful grasshopper's might. "Relax, Flashfire. I don't bite."

"Oh, I know..I'm just new here, and trying to keep out of everyone's
 way." Flashfire answers, and he does look to settle himself as Cutter
 takes a seat.

Ember rouses herself from her slight doze, blinking at her father and
 Flashfire. ** Minx went to find Skywise? **

Cutter glances up at the branches overhead. "That's where she said she
 was going.."

Ember nods. "I must've fallen asleep. I thought I heard her say that."

"Aye, that's right," Flashfire says, echoing Cutter's answer. "I guess
 he's around here somewhere, like Suntop."

Cutter glances again at Flashfire, and chuckles. "You must be bored,
 cub."

Flashfire shrugs, looking at Cutter again. "Why do you say that?" He
 thinks . o O (I'm not a cub anymore..Ember said so herself.)

Cutter still calls Ember 'cub' from time to time. "We've been trying to
 keep things quiet here, more or less. No fights, no invasions, not even
 a howl to draw attention to us."

Ember argues about it, too. But she also calls Minx a cub, and blames
 that on being her mother.

Flashfire gives Ember a glance, and decides to inform Cutter of what
 Minx told them earlier.  After all he's /chief/ and should know these
 things. "Minx said she saw a round-ear out where the lake is, I think
 it was."

Cutter frowns, predictably. "If it stays there, then let it be."

Flashfire nods, not at all questioning the decision. "Minx said she went
 around to avoid it.  She said there was just one."

Ember says "One's no harm, so long as more don't come."

Cutter nods. "Strongbow can handle one by himself."

Flashfire bets he could too, but he doesn't say it. He won't go looking
 for trouble, in any event. "Aye." Then, he reaches over to tap Ember on
 the shoulder. "You're it again."

"Hey!" Ember laughs, and swats Cutter on the shoulder. "*He's* it!" And
 then she rolls away, out of arm's reach, grinning.
 
Out of who's arm reach. Cutter's is considerable. He blinks a few times,
 then smiles an entirely lopsided, slow smile. "Says who?" He climbs to
 his feet with a speed belied by his size, and charges after Ember.

Flashfire hops to his feet, scampering away from both Ember and Cutter,
 just enough to avoid being immediately tagged again. "Haha!" he trills,
 a boyish grin plastered on his face as play begins to resume.

Ember scrambles to her feet in a mad rush, not nearly as fast as she
 hoped, and is thusly tagged again. With a spring of coiled energy, she
 launches herself towards Flashfire, giggling.

Flashfire yipes, taken off his feet by Ember-in-flight, tumbling and
 rolling a few times.  "Aaack!" He tags her back repeatedly, on the arm.
 "Gotcha! Gotcha again!"

Smack! Smack! Smack! The 'It' tag goes back and forth several times,
 until Ember rolls away, laughing too hard to move, and crawls feebly
 towards Cutter. "I'll get you!" she threatens.

Flashfire rolls away as well, doubling over in laughter until Ember
 begins to crawl-stalk her father. Sputtering, he tries to do the same.
 "Get him..!" he laughs.

Cutter backs away from the crawling Ember, careful to stay half a
 handspan out of the way.  "You have to catch me, first."

"Hee hee *hee*." Ember continues forward, somewhat drunkenly, lurching
 out to try to smack Cutter's foot. "Hold *still*"!

Flashfire managed to track down Ember earlier, with some teachings
 learned in the process.  But Cutter's not hidden among any branches, so
 quickness is better here. Flashfire tries to propel himself towards the
 chief as well. He forgot who 'it' was in the midst of the tag-fest,
 but it's grown past that. "Get him!"

(Somewhere in the middle of this, the trio winds up in the clearing.)

Cutter continues to back up, until he backs himself up against a tree,
 and can back no further. From there, he chooses instead to level a
 finger at the approaching elves. "Two on one isn't fair.."

Ember, really, isn't very dangerous. She can't move more than a few
 inches at a time without collapsing into giggles. She waves a hand,
 falling down and gasping for air. "Get 'im!"

Flashfire sputters again, still short of breath from the poking that he
 and Ember were doing, and he clutches his stomach, falling to curl up
 again next to Ember, laughing uncontrollably. "Can't..you..get 'im!"

Ember gives up, lying on her tummy and giggling.

Cutter relaxes, visibly.
 
Flashfire doesn't know when to quit, it seems. Gasping while giggling,
 the cub gets to his knees, moving shakily towards Cutter yet again.
 "Hold still...quit moving." He's the one whose head spins, though, a
 playful growl rising from him.

A playful growl can get you trouble, Flashfire, especially when you're
 sprouting fur.  Rainrunner, who was dozing blissfully in the sun, now
 takes an interest in the game, and, pokes his nose toward the cub.

Of course, Flashfire doesn't know what Rainrunner's up to, for he can't
 hear the wolf looking his way. He looks the part of a wannabe wolf,
 too, still on his hands and knees while he catches his breath.

Cutter says, "I'm not the one moving, cub."

Flashfire notices Cutter's right, and he ohs, that grin holding steady.
 He rrrrrs at the chief, reaching a fuzzy hand towards him in an attempt
 to tag his boot.
 
And Rainrunner makes his move, neck arched, and chest forward. Classic
 dominance position. My elf.

Flashfire quits giggling, managing to compose himself, and his head
 turns towards the approaching Rainrunner. His eyes blink, head tilting
 to a side.

Ember watches, from her prone position, eyes half lidded.

Pale eyebrows arch, and Cutter tips his head at the brindled wolf as
 well. "Runner.." Ember earns a brief glance, and a nod.

Ember nods a little.

Rainrunner's ears flicker toward Cutter, then back again to Flashfire.
 He gives a whuff of sound, and backs up a few steps, wags his tail
 once, then goes still.

Flashfire still watches Rainrunner curiously, and he settles into a
 crouch, looking just to one side of the wolf's eyes. He offers a hand,
 palm up.

Rainrunner lifts a paw and settles it once more before padding forward
 to sniff at the offered hand first, and then to swipe it once with his
 tongue. He then sits, and scratches at a sudden itch, sending up a tuft
  of loosened fur.

Flashfire wears a grin as Rainrunner's tongue brushes his hand. He
 wasn't sure what would happen - that, or possibly having to show
 throat. He's got no way of knowing what a wolf thinks of an elf with
 fur. It's just not common at all. He sits back down, looking up at
 Cutter. "Is he your wolf-friend?"

Cutter nods. "Rainrunner." Once more the wolf's ears flicker toward
 Cutter, and then he breaks into a lupine grin, panting as he does.

"Does that mean he likes to play in the rain?" Flashfire asks, crawling
 closer to Rainrunner and attempting to rub around the wolf's ears.

Cutter nods. "He did, when he was younger, at least. Now, he just
 doesn't mind sleeping in it."

Flashfire thought it might be something like that, and he scritches
 gently behind Rainrunner's ears, reaching up as he sits next to the
 wolf. "Aye," he answers.

Ember looks at Rainrunner, quietly thoughtful. "Were there any new cubs
 born this spring?"

Cutter looks over at Ember. "Mmm? A litter or two, I think. The wolves
 don't keep them in the holt, though."

Ember chews her lower lip thoughtfully. "I haven't found a new wolf
-friend since Choplicker died."

Flashfire continues to scritch over Rainrunner's ears and rubs the back
 of his neck, glancing towards Ember. He wonders where GreyPaw went off
 to, and says, "Maybe you'll find a new friend soon?"

Ember nods. "Maybe I'll visit the pack."

Cutter smiles a little. "You'll find a bond, Ember."

"It took me a long time before I found GreyPaw," Flashfire says, just to
 let everyone else know. "He's my first."

Ember nods at Flashfire. "Sometimes it takes a while to find the right
 wolf."

Cutter nods as well. "Some of them never bond. Some elves never bond.
 It's the Way." 

"Well, I'm glad I found a wolf-friend of my own," Flashfire says,
 standing back up to pause next to Rainrunner. Soon, very soon, he
 should be able to ride GreyPaw, too.

[Continued next log..]