From: owner-lostholt-l@murkworks.net on behalf of Strongbow [strongbow34@hotmail.com] Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2000 7:13 PM To: lostholt-l@murkworks.net Subject: [lostholt-l] Discussion of recent events (A small gathering of elves meet around the father tree, chat about recent goings-on taking place, Flashfire's Recognition among them) >>--------------------> <--------------------<< Base of the Lost Holt Father Tree A dense grove of grotesquely shaped trees dominated by one immense Grandfather of a tree whose age is no less great than its size. It is obvious that the old tree has survived a terrible tragedy and you can see some of the scars left by the terrible blaze on the snow covered branches. Snow lies piled around the trees roots and in drifts around the Father Tree. Like old friends, the gnarled trees embrace one another, their many branches entwined and now snow collects atop them, occasionally crashing down to the ground below. It is a cold winter morning. The Father Tree is quiet as elves and wolves alike seek to the warmth of their dens after a long night out in the cold. Contents: Scouter DarkTruth Shiloh Snowsplash's Litter Bearpaw Tailchaser Snowsplash Patience Obvious exits: Into the Tree Around the Tree Clearing Scouter is in a branch of a tree near DarkTruth, who is wrapped up in a fur. Strongbow steps out of the father tree, the only real addition to his usual clothing being a cape-like fur cloak tied around his neck that drapes over his back. Soft-booted feet crunch on snow and the archer glances towards those gathered. A wordless greeting surfaces. Scouter looks down as he hears the crunch in the snow. He waves towards the archer, **Hey Strongbow.** Woodlock walks around from behind the Father Tree. Bramble has connected. DarkTruth chuckles quietly, sending, ** That only works if you don't have to carry everything yourself, or are staying in one place. ** The well bundled seaelf peers down at the newcomers, ** Shade ** Woodlock peers...up? "Hello again." Strongbow crosses his arms, looking up. ** Should be in a den somewhere if you're cold. ** he sends, helpfully. He doesn't seem terribly bothered by the weather, himself. A few more steps, and he considers getting something from the stores. Not yet, though. Scouter hops down from the branch he was perched on, landing in the snow with a soft crunch. He bends his knees as he lands to absorb the shock, and after standing up straight he walks towards a rock, leaning on it. Bramble makes her way carefully from the area behind the father tree. Although there's a fur wrapped around her shoulders, it doesn't hide her advanced state of pregnancy. Is she even bigger than she was yesterday? She certainly feels like it. DarkTruth again grins, ** Then I'd never leave the den for the whole of whitecold. That'd get just a little bit boring after a while....** Woodlock nods a greeting to Scouter and Bramble, respectively. Strongbow's attentive eyes come to rest on Bramble next, the tall wolfrider sizing her up (and out?). Questions follow. ** Staying healthy? How do you feel? ** A smirk tossed DarkTruth's way, then back to Bramble with his attention as he fingers his chin thoughtfully. ** Warm enough in your den? ** DarkTruth grins faintly, then settles back down a bit on her branch. Now.. will the lifebearer toss something at him, or just grin and bear it.. Bramble looks up at the seaelf on her branch, now how did she get all the way up there, didn't know seaelves could climb trees. As to the archer's questions, Bramble's still in the grin and bear it stage, although may change as the cubs birth gets closer. ** I'm fine. And Suntop's den is quite warm. ** Scouter has disconnected. Strongbow nods somewhat contentedly to Bramble's answer, a distracted send of his own surfacing again. ** Good..for both you and cub. ** As Suntop's mentioned, he can't help but think of the soul-brother of his. There's going to be trouble. Woodlock listens to the conversation for a while, then says in an apparently unconnected remark. "It won't be too long before the newgreen." Bramble is looking forward to the newgreen herself, for the cub is due towards the beginning of summer, and as the newgreen passes that means fewer days left until then. Strongbow nods slowly in Woodlock's direction, still managing to keep that frown so commonly seen on his face. ** Let's hope Flashfire and Dewshine are home by then, hmm? ** There's a heavy feeling to the words, as if he's already preparing himself for another trip to the Mountain. At least when Dewshine Recognized, the others were there with her. Woodlock says, cautiously. "I can understand why Flashfire would wish to speak with Dewshine on these matters, but... for the two of them to travel alone seems hazardous." Bramble hmmms, "Didn't Windkin go with them?" Okay, its not like three is much better than two. And having been in the group that witnessed the eyes-meeting-eyes, "Flashfire would have gone alone, if given his choice I think. Cutter made him take someone." Woodlock says "Well, I suppose we will know, soon enough." Scouter has connected. DarkTruth listens quietly, then nods. Strongbow nods at Bramble's answer, about to say the same, himself. ** Cutter probably thought Dewshine would be best to prepare him for it. ** Having also Recognized a Glider and all. ** And Ember hasn't been seen much lately, otherwise she'd have probably gone, too. ** As for Windkin, he can only shrug. He hasn't kept track of that one. He adds, ** Flashfire should know better than to go into that hornet's nest alone. ** Woodlock looks to Strongbow. "I did not meet the glider before she left in haste. Do you know why she came here? Another refugee, perhaps? Blue Mountain might not even be the right place to go." Bramble sighs and shrugs, "I guess Flashfire didn't want to drag anybody else with him when he went into the nest. And he wasn't exactly in the best frame of mind." Not too far removed from the shock of recognition, also an unwanted one, Bramble can understand how Fuzzy might have been a little scrambled. DarkTruth grimaces faintly, and nods, from up above. Being the one who first ran into Haikari, the one who let her and her lifemate stick around, Strongbow shakes his head to Woodlock, ignoring a chilly breeze that flutters his cloak. ** No. Not a refugee. She's from the Mountain. Came to trade. ** He scuffs a booted foot against a root, knocking some sticky snow loose as Bramble speaks. That's a good point she has, about the frame of mind the wolfish elf must've been in. ** Told her not to get into any trouble. ** he adds, though he knows Recognition can't be stopped when it's due. Woodlock smiles faintly, also recognizing the futility of it. "Curious. What did the Mountain wish to trade?" DarkTruth blinks faintly. Trade? One has to wonder what sort of things the Mountain has for trade.... oh, right, important stuff being spoken of. Bramble can answer that one, Haikari mentioned it before everything went crazy. "She wanted mothcloth. Said the desert was to far to go for it. Got the impression she was some sort tanner, or at least a clothes maker of some sort." Woodlock raises an eyebrow. "Wolfriders are hardly known for their use of mothcloth. But then again, a glider would be unlikely to know the difference." He frowns thoughtfully. Strongbow shakes his head, scowling openly. ** All this, for rags. ** It's the timing of things..most likely, the pair would've met somewhere else, sometime else. When it's Recognition, it's Fate. ** They knew the traders were here, I think. Somehow. ** the archer tells Woodlock, adding a bit more to the equation. ** Still, there's going to be trouble. ** Scouter has disconnected. Woodlock nods his agreement, recalling some other Recognitions between Lostholt and Blue Mountain. "I wish she had the sense to stay until things could be sorted out." DarkTruth snorts faintly, "Sense and recognition do /not/ go hand in hand." Bramble agrees, the back of her neck hasn't stopped itching since Flashfire's jaw dropped. Although she can't help but giggle at a couple of thoughts. "Can you imagine the look on Winnowill's face when she finds out. Also, wouldn't a little furry floating cub be the cutest thing." Woodlock says "Cubs are cute, but..." Woodlock looks just slightly flabbergasted at the image. DarkTruth blinkblinks down at Bramble, then grins. That's the part that really cooks Strongbow's noodle - that Haikari simply bolted, from what he was told. ** She should -know- what resisting it does! ** the words grate. ** You can't resist it when it strikes, ever. ** Arms fold again and he doesn't mean to snap at Bramble, but... ** This is not a game. Knowing the Snake, that cub's in for it. Flashfire, too. ** Yes, he has his mind made up on this one. Woodlock sighs. ** Perhaps Cutter was right to keep gliders away from the holt entirely. ** DarkTruth hesitates a moment, then sends, ** I told Skywise we would keep an eye out for them, when we headed up to goback territory, and try to send word....** Bramble doesn't seem to take Strongbow's snapping to heart, she can be just as fierce when tribemates are threatened. Its just her strange sense of humor gets the better of her more often than not. "If its not the gliders, its the underworlders. And if you keep them out of the holt, you just run into them later when you least expect it. Probably nothing to be done to stop this kind of trouble." Well, that all depends on what someone means when it comes to stopping the trouble, but Strongbow forces a nod, shifting attention to his bow, checking it one more time. ** How close to the Mountain do you think your route will go? ** he asks DarkTruth. Mention of the Underworld causes his hackles to raise, again. Perhaps it's a good thing he hasn't confronted the new visitors, yet. ** Cutter should not have let them in here, after what just happened. ** DarkTruth shivers, at the mention of the Underworld, face shadowed for a moment, then shakes her head, ** Stormtossed hasn't said yet, but.... ** She shrugs, ** I can ask that they all keep an eye out, when heading up...** If StormTossed is doing the looking... ** She's had her eye on him already, right from the start. ** Strongbow remarks, only a brief snippet of humor interjected. ** Suntop should be able to reach them if he needs to. ** he adds, hopeful for that information link to hold up. He'd rather just go back to the Mountain and pull them out himself, but that's more of a last resort. Flashfire and Dewshine are part of the pack, and they're both important to it being whole. Bramble probably has more concern over the underworlders than any gliders, never having the misfortune to meet any of the truly nasty gliders, and having more than her share of run-ins with the pale underground elves. But she's picked up plenty of bad glider vibes over the last several days, and so can't help but worry. ** I'm just glad Suntop was talked out of going too. ** DarkTruth chuckles quietly, and nods... ** She was, wasn't she... ** Amazing. For once the daughter almost came out a head... not that Dark would ever think like that. Woodlock says "Time enough to worry, later." Strongbow nods slowly at Bramble's words. ** He's better off here, where he could help more. Too much danger for him at the Mountain. ** In the end, Woodlock's right. He adds no more to the current topic, as much an indication that he may be done with it as actually saying so. Woodlock looks to Bramble, picking up on an earlier statement. "You have run into the Underworlders lately?" Bramble sighs and lays a hand on her stomach. "Not these new ones, but the one that was here before, almost two turns of the season ago." She smiles wryly. "And a few turns before that they got a little overzealous when they needed Leetah's help for something and picked up quite a few others with red hair." She sighs, "And over twenty turns ago, my tribe was in Sorrow's when they raided it. And a good friend came back with a cub in her belly after being captured during the raid." DarkTruth tilts her head, and looks down... ** Poor lass... I think I remember her... ** Strongbow frowns again as Bramble recites past events that bring forth a few memories in his head, ones he'd rather leave behind for the time being. Abruptly, he climbs back up into the tree, seeking out his den as he leaves another wordless send behind, this one of departure and comfort.