Log Date: April 1994 Log Cast: Clearsight, Nofti, Sharq, Kimos Log Intro: Encountering her solitary tribesmate Kimos on the savannah, and persuaded by him to at last allow the Preservers HoneyGold and Tumbleberry to put the ailing Blackmorn into wrapstuff, Clearsight has arrived in an exhausted daze in Sorrow's End. Blackmorn's illness and injury have been attended by two healers -- Skybow the Wolfrider and Shayilbey of the Underworld -- while Clearsight herself has had her overstressed sensitive mind shielded by Savah, the Mother of Memory. At last, both Blackmorn and Clearsight have been taken to a hut in which they might rest, and there, Clearsight is discovered by another elf she'd encountered before arriving in the Sun Village.... ---------- Clearsight IC starts, looking up, blinkblinking exhaustedly. "N-nofti... " Nofti peers at her. "You look on your last legs. You should rest." Clearsight shoves a hand through her tangled hair, and murmurs, "I... am trying to rest... Blackmorn... is better, some healers have... tended him... " Nofti examines Blackmorn for any sign of the dreaded illness... He lies quietly; his face is calm, if still pale, and his breath comes more easily. His shoulder is freshly bandaged, his face turned slightly towards Clearsight as he sleeps. Nofti says "I know of illness only as much as I need to know, but he does look better." Nofti pauses. Nofti says "Close? The two of you?" Clearsight blinkblinks, and looks up again. Her eyes flicker confusedly, as if she is caught unprepared by the question. But at last she answers earnestly, "He... is my guard." Nofti didn't expect this answer. "Your guard?" Clearsight nods slowly, solemnly. "He c-came, on my Walkabout, to guard me... I-I am guarding him, now." Nofti says "Walkabout? A sort of excursion?" Clearsight rubs her free hand across her puffed and reddened eyes, and replies huskily, "It is... f-for looking for my S-sign." Nofti sits down heavily. "I thought I knew the ways of other tribes. Your sign?" Clearsight keeps one hand clasping Blackmorn's, and looks up again. Her gaze is deeply blue, shadowed with exhaustion, yet direct and forthright, and glimmering faintly.... "For my new name," she answers quietly. "I-it is the way, of Ch-chief Darkwind's elves. The... Plainsrunners." Nofti says "Your new name. And have you found one, young?" Clearsight shakes her head in quiet moroseness. Nofti speaks quietly. "I don't know what sort of Sign a Plainsrunner needs...but you may have found it." Nofti stands. "And if not, I am good at finding things, and naming them, too. I shall stroll the paths and ponder." Clearsight blinkblinks at that, looking more closely at her visitor. "What... do you mean? Found my Sign...?" Nofti smiles. "Think carefully about what you have done, lovely. You have spent much of your quest, it seems, guarding your guard. And you have, in a sense, saved his life. If that isn't worth a name..." Nofti bows and grins. "...but then, this is your Way. You tell me." Nofti dances away. "I'll be back. If trouble finds you, find me a...howl?...away." Nofti re-enters the visitors' court from the cottage area. Nofti has left. Clearsight looks faintly overwhelmed by the entire idea. There is a ripple of confusion that leaks briefly out of her, reflected in her eyes; were she not already sitting down, she would have fallen...... [And later...] Nofti walks in from the Visitors' Courtyard to the South. Nofti has arrived. Nofti says "Greetings, lovely. Have you a new name?" Clearsight looks up, startledly. "Nofti... oh... not yet, no... " Nofti ruffles her hair. "Ah, well...fear not." Clearsight says solemnly, "I will have to think about the Sign... to see what is true... n-now that Blackmorn is alright." Nofti says "You seem well taken care of here...I will be taking to the rocks, to hunt this 'bristle-boar'. Perhaps I will return before you leave, perhaps not...perhaps I will hear your call or send if you need me. Whatever way, I wish you luck." Nofti says "And hesitate not to call Nofti 'friend.'" Clearsight inclines her head, something of the stress leaving her eyes. "Thank you," she responds earnestly. Nofti seizes her in a gentle, but enthusiastic, embrace for an instant, then turns and lopes away, the thrill of the hunt in his eyes. Nofti re-enters the visitors' court from the cottage area. Nofti has left. [Later still....] Sharq walks in from the Visitors' Courtyard to the South. Sharq has arrived. Sharq(#4771Vep) Sharq is wrapped from head to toe in a single piece of coarse fabric. It forms a hood about his head, and from this, animal teeth and beads hang, guarding his eyes. He carries a waterskin and a long knife about his waist. You can see his sun-reddened face set in a cold glare. He has apparently been wandering the desert for some time. Sharq jingles slightly as he stops, watching. Sharq sends openly ** Greetings. ** Clearsight starts, her eyes snapping up at the arrival of a stranger. She sits beside the prone form of the dark-haired elf sleeping beside her; she herself is pale, drawn, under her scarred face. She blinkblinks at the sending, and stammers, "H-hello... " Sharq sends openly ** Do not be frightened. ** Clearsight, clinging to the hand of the elf lying beside her, asks shyly, "Who... are you? Do you live here?" Sharq pulls back his jingling hood and smiles with his blue eyes. **No, cousin, I do not live here.** You say "Are you.. visiting? Why are you..." Sharq sends openly, **I have been wandering for so long. I assume you do not live here?** Clearsight shakes her head slowly, solemnly. Sharq looks about. **I wandered upon this village by accident, I was travelling Hubward.** Sharq sends openly ** Is there something wrong with your friend? ** Clearsight pulls in a breath, and answers tiredly, "Blackmorn... was hurt, by a mountain cat... Kimos helped me bring him here... " Sharq sends openly ** May I look at him? ** Sharq moves closer, unhooking his waterskin. Clearsight flicks a glance to the sleeping one, her own gaze reflecting exhaustion, but she nods. Sharq observes the wound. Sharq locksends ** I am afraid this is beyond my abilities. ** Blackmorn sleeps... his expression calm, peaceful, even if his face is pale against his sweat-dampened dark chestnut hair. His shoulder and arm are bandaged; the skin beneath the dressing, when checked, clearly has undergone recent healing yet has not healed completely. Clearsight blinks. "You... are a healer?" Sharq locksends ** No, not as you mean... ** Clearsight looks a little confused, her wide solemn eyes blinkblinking. Sharq sends openly ** I was tought to heal some wounds without magic. You see,...I... ** Sharq looks down ashamed. Clearsight frowns vaguely, her tired mind, even with the shielding which Savah had placed around it, rippling a bit..... "What is wrong...?" she asks, quietly. Sharq looks up at Clearsight. **I am not like you my cousin. I do not posess any magics, other than sending the mind-speak. I cannot even... recieve it...** Sharq sits near Blackmorn. Clearsight blinkblinks again, a flicker of sympathy and something like starlight glimmering for a moment in her eyes... she asks, simply, "Why are you ashamed of this?" Sharq offers the waterskin to Clearsight. Clearsight takes the skin, gratefully... sipping a small amount. Sharq sends openly ** I am not... comfortable with my brethren, unable to join in their conversations. I feel left out. ** Clearsight says forthrightly, "Not all elves send... I do not. Not usually." Sharq sends openly ** When I was very young, I remember being raised by a group of Plains elves, but they were not my true people. Since I left them, I have not spoken to a soul. ** Sharq moves his chapped lips as though remembering how to form words. Sharq gently licks his lips. Sharq says "What is your name?" Sharq smiles at himself. Clearsight listens quietly; at no point does she ever release Blackmorn's hand. She answers softly, in a formal tone, "My mother named me Clearsight." Sharq says "Clearsight, I am called Sharq." Clearsight inclines her head solemnly; with a tilt towards her sleeping companion, she adds, "This is Blackmorn. He is my guard, and now I am guarding him." Sharq says "That is very honorable. Your mother would be proud." Clearsight almost but does not quite smile at that... her eyes go distant, perhaps with memory. "Yes," she murmurs softly. Sharq says "Were you attacked in the desert? I have never seen cats in the desert." Clearsight shakes her head quietly. "It was in mountains, far to the west... " Sharq closes his eyes, as if in thought, and slowly opens them, "I am travelling towards Sun-goes-down, myself, If I see the creature, I will exact revenge in your name." Clearsight says gravely, "Thank you... but we killed it... Blackmorn and I. After it bit him." Sharq lies the waterskin down at his side. Sharq looks out, "may I leave my waterskin with you? I wish to meet the leader of this village before nightfall. You may drink if you wish. You say "Thank you... that is very kind of you." Sharq smiles and pulls himself upright. "Thank you, friend. I will return." Clearsight inclines her head quietly, and returns to her vigil. Sharq re-enters the visitors' court from the cottage area. Sharq has left. [Later still....] Sharq walks in from the Visitors' Courtyard to the South. Sharq has arrived. Sharq quietly picks up his waterskin, and begins to leave for an unoccupied cottage. Clearsight sits quietly where she was before, humming softly under her breath, smoothing her companion's hair back from his forehead. Clearsight's scarred, thin face is pointed toward's Blackmorn's sleeping one; she doesn't catch Sharq's quiet footfalls. Sharq goes home. Sharq has left. [And after a time....] Kimos walks in from the Visitors' Courtyard to the South. Kimos has arrived. Kimos wanders in, "How are you doing?" Clearsight looks up, blinking startled sleep from her eyes. "Kimos... " Kimos says "Sorry... I didn't realize you were sleeping." Kimos turns to head back outside. You say "It... it is alright... do not worry." Kimos turns back, "I've got to get ready to leave, anyhow." Clearsight stretches, instinctively turning to check on Blackmorn; her companion still sleeps, his breathing relaxed, peaceful. She then looks up once more, and says earnestly, "I must thank you... is there anything that I could do, to repay you....?" Kimos shakes his head, "I don't need to be repaid. If I hadn't helped, you're friend would have died." Clearsight's wide eyes flicker with a bit of worried remembrance, but she says steadily, "It is for Blackmorn, that I would wish to do something in return... I owe you much, for helping me bring him here." Kimos shakes his head, and says determindly, "I HAD to do it." Clearsight tilts her head a little, that wide guileless gaze of hers again flickering, seeming _searching_... but she nods at last, earnestly. "Then... I will simply say, thank you. And hope that someday, I will be able to aid you." Kimos nods, and heads out the door, "Till next time tribessister." Kimos re-enters the visitors' court from the cottage area. Kimos has left. [To be continued....]