15 April 2002, festival campsite, plainsrunner territory who: shadows, redlance, nightfall Summary: redlance enters the scene, and nightfall is very happy to see her lifemate again, for he has been gone for a little while. Shadows, however, isn't happy, and is jealous of the attention being taken from him by his friend's mate. 4/15/02 12:16 PM Logfile from Nightfall. Nightfall's tent(#1645VYhs$) You step outside the tent into the world outside. Temporary Encampment The various tents here are huddled together in this one area that allows those who have journeyed far to the festival to set up their tents and rest. The daystar rises over the horizon on the plains, peeping through the tall grass and the distant trees. The hottime morning air is warmed quickly before the daystar is fully risen, drying the damp land. You walk towards the main festival area. Leafchange Festival Campsite You find yourself in the midst of the bedlam of gaity. Sights, sounds and smells becon you to join in the celebration. You are nearly flattened by the scampering and dodging pack of children as you make your way through the throng of people. The feeling of unity and brotherhood instantly draws you a warm grin from even the most dour and reserved. Meeting your every gaze are towering tents of assorted bright patchwork hide, tanned the colors of the natural cycle of the leaves. Music suddenly erupts t your right, adding its chorus to the constant thrum of lilting tune heard throughout the festival. You turn to find a middle-aged Plainsrunner with salted hair shooting you a wry wink, dancing a small jig, pipping spryly on a set of panpipes fashioned from an antler. This is a place where one can leave behind the trials and tribulations of daily life and escape into a carefree dream without a second thought. Problems shed like snakeskin, therre is time here to simply 'be'. Rolling Hills(#1433RJ) As the land slopes from north to south it becomes a basking view of rolling hills and arroyos. Sturdy grasses and an occassional slump of brush cover most of it with short trees, only in the lower areas, which collect moisture from the infrequent rain or from the underground springs. Veins of little arroyos lead southward and meet a grand arroyo. These water ways channel water to a grand arroyo which then takes the water to a stream. In the distance, towards the north, is the peak of Plains Mountain. Because of its low altitude is bears no snow, even in the dead of whitetime (winter). This peak is visable from anywhere in the plains. Nightfall sprawls against her wolf, yawning, dazed, and basically looking for all the world like she just got up. >From the North East, a flash of red and red blurrs across the landscape... low to his wolf-friend's back, the tree shaper of the Lost Holt approaches at top speed! Spear in one hand, moss green eyes peering over the shoulder of his companion, his tracker's skills let him note the passage of many elves, even at this high speed... Lifting his head to let off a joyous cry, he howls into the clear air "AAAYOOOOOOOOOOHAHHHHHH!" raising his spear into the air as Flamecoat leaps over a bush and comes skidding to a halt... Nightfall looks up, no longer dazed or sleepy. Her eyes are focused on red and green, and that is all she sees right now. She tries to get to her feet, somewhat tangled by wolf limbs. ** Redlance? ** she sends. ** Redlance? ** Shadows had been sitting calmly picking some little green stickers out of his wolf's fur when there is a sudden howl. He ducks behind the wolf a moment to try and figure just who is coming. A glance at Nightfall, he sees she isn't worried. Then he looks back at the blurred figure. ** Is it okay Nightfall? ** He's still extremely embarassed about last night. Redlance leaps off his wolf and almost stumbles, despite elven grace, to reach his lifemate, sending with a great surge of elation, tossing his spear to the ground as he races to her, coming on her just as she stands to wrap his arms about her middle and squeeze her into his slender body... ** Nightfall! My eyes see with joy! ** A huge wolfish grin on his face, cherubic cheeks dimpled till his leaf green eyes are merely sparkling emerald slits, brimming over with the sheer elation of reunion. Redlance locksends ** Love by choice...** more gently his private sending a caress of the petals of the thorn flower, who's blossom fails to reach the brilliance of his hair, and who's fragrance fails to entice as his lifemates ** Twen... ** Nightfall stands like stone for a moment, then laughs as she wraps her arms around her mate. Tears can be found in her eyes as well, and they spill over into his glorious hair, but it's no matter. ** I'd missed you... ** though it's a severe understatement. Of course, he had work to do, visits with other tribes, but still it is always too long. >From within the Trader camp, StormTossed has connected. Shadows is behind a rather large wolf and actually goes and growls at Redlance a little before looking at Nightfall and immediatly stopping. No growling at her mate. Even if he's getting HIS hug. Yes the petulant cub look is there. You locksend ** My Ulm...I am glad. << ecstatic, joyous as a preserver on dreamberries >> ** to Redlance. Redlance seems at the moment, utterly unthreatening, and utterly forgiving, brushing his cheek against Nightfalls as he shares a brief and poignant sending, then whispers "I'm here now... too long apart for us." Tears well up in his eyes too, as he slips back to look at her, then leans forward to rest his forehead on hers "Much too long, but I'm back. And there's some sort of trouble from what I felt in Cutter's sending?" Oblivious to the reunion, Flamecoat bends his neck and picks up Redlance's spear, trotting over to his elf-friend and wagging his tail enthusiastically as he drops it at their feet... snuffles Nightfall's elbow, then trots off to refamiliarize himself with the other wolves... Nightfall pulls back far enough to lay her forehead against his, her hands cupping his face now. She doesn't have to look at Shadows, however, to know his expression. ** Shadows, stop that. ** The send has a little annoyance, but also a good amount of calming to it. ** Oh, Redlance... you're...well...I always hate waiting for you, especially now...those creatures << picture of changed shagback things >>, and it's so dangerous.... but it doesn't matter. ** Woodbiter sniffs the new wolf caustiously, circling him. Remembering dimly his bond's mate's wolf, Woodbiter lolls out a grin and greets Flamecoat. Redlance wrinkles his button nose a bit at the unnatural shapes in her sending **What /are/ they? I've never tracked down anything like that before. Anything I can do to help, bows, arrows?** Even the poor tidings can't really dampen his mood, his hand sliding up to rest on Nightfalls, curling about her fingers and squeezing emphatically. **And who's this?** He lifts a brow and looks to the other elf... Shadows is finding his large wolf makes a good hiding spot. Okay he can't growl. But he's still hugging her. And well. He's still annoyed. So looking UNDER his wolf he puts his hand to the ground and starts having a low lying vine start wrapping AROUND his foot. See if no one sees him, they can't blame him right? Flamecoat wolf-grins and sniffs at bond-mates bond-mate's wolf, licking ears and doing the ever eternal joyous wolf bounce... Nightfall clears her throat and looks at Shadows, arms on her mate's shoulders. ** Shadows. Quit. ** She turns back to Redlance. ** He's a plantshaper, apparently. ** She hugs him tightly once more. ** I'll tell you about the shagbacks and the hunt later.... ** Redlance smirks and sets his foot on the vine, which not only recoils, but re-coils! It flits away and ties itself into a useful little loop... and then flowers, sprouting little white blossoms as if it were the beginning of newgreen... **I could tell... ** grinning teasingly and flashing one of those sweet smiles at shadows, the familiar tingle of plantshaping, the singing vine, telling him what was happening... **I am too...** he looks to Nightfall, and the tone of his 'smirk' changes pace dramatically, his eyes hooding as he gives her a little nod... **Shade and sweetwater, Shadows... we'll be back in... well we'll be back..." stepping away, with Nightfalls hand in his, to head toward her tent... Nightfall grins and stoops for a moment to drop a kiss on Shadows' head. ** Please don't be mad, little one. ** You walk towards the Temporary Encampment. You step quietly into Nightfall's tent. Redlance quietly enters Nightfall's tent. After an exhausting "reunion", both fall asleep, entwined in each other's arms. (end scene)